Brought Together By Fate
by JessCM09
Summary: As Amelia's 6th birthday rolls around, Jane and Maura's relationship is stronger than ever as many changes come their way. Follow the little Isles/Rizzoli family as they navigate their way through the many challenges that come with balancing their work and home lives. The Sequel to Maybe It Was Fate.
1. Chapter 1

**And we're back! I couldn't give up this family for too long and I was happy to start back into this story as I have a lot of ideas that I still want to explore! So basically this story takes place almost a year after the last one ended on Amelia's 6** **th** **birthday, as I wanted to skip a bit of time! I really hope you all will enjoy it! Thanks so much for reading! -J**

 **Chapter 1- The Big Six**

"Mama! Mama!" Amelia ran towards the brunette detective who had just walked in the front door, home after a long day of paperwork. "Mama you're home!" She called, leaping into Jane's arms just as she bent to catch the little blonde. "You're home and tomorrow's my birthday!"

"Tomorrow's your birthday?" Jane gasped in mock surprise. "That can't be true!"

"It is Mama!" Amelia replied, looking a little hurt that her Mama seemed to have forgotten her birthday. "I'm gonna be 6!"

"6! Now I know you aren't telling the truth!" Jane continued to tease the little girl. "You cannot possibly be 6 years old! You're just a baby!"

"I always tell the truth Mama," Amelia said, looking incredibly serious. "Mommy says it's not nice to lie. I'm gonna be 6 Mama! You can ask Mommy."

"You can ask Mommy what?" Maura, who had taken the day off, asked as she came around the corner, greeting her girlfriend with a kiss hello. "What's wrong darling?"

"Mommy, I think Mama forgot my birthday!" Amelia replied sounding slightly scandalized. "She doesn't think I'm going to be 6 tomorrow, but I am. I'm not lying Mommy! I wouldn't lie!"

"Of course you wouldn't sweetheart," Maura chuckled kissing the side of her daughter's head, swatting Jane's shoulder. "Your Mama is just teasing you Baby. She knows that you wouldn't tell a lie. Don't you Mama?"

"Of course I do," Jane grinned, placing kisses all over Amelia's face until the almost 6 year old couldn't contain her giggles anymore. "Mommy's right Bug I was just teasing you. I know tomorrow is your birthday and you know what? I can't wait for your party!"

"Me either!" Amelia nodded with a big smile. "It's going to be lots of fun Mama! Everyone is going to be here!"

"They sure are," Jane replied, sitting Amelia down on one of the kitchen stools as she made her way to the fridge to grab a bear, smiling gratefully as Maura began to pull dinner, which she had kept warm for her, from out of the oven. "Thanks Maur."

"Long day?" Maura asked as she made up Jane's plate, placing it in front of the brunette who had taken a seat next to Amelia.

"The longest," Jane sighed. "I should have listened to you when you told me to keep up with my paperwork. By the end of the day my eyes were burning from all the files I had to read through, but I had to get through it all so I wouldn't have to go in this weekend."

"Yeah you wouldn't want to miss my party Mama," Amelia said, grabbing a box of crayons and some paper so she could draw while Jane ate her dinner.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything Bug," Jane smiled before turning her attention back towards Maura. "How was your day?"

"I got everything done that I was hoping to," Maura replied. "Everything is ready for the party and your Mother and I went over the menu again. I'm fairly certain she will be cooking all morning, but she's insisting on doing it all."

"Of course she is, she loves that stuff," Jane laughed taking another bite of her dinner. "And did you talk to your Mother?"

"She'll be here by noon," Maura nodded with a small smile, looking like she was trying to contain her own happiness at this fact. "It should be a good day."

"Of course it will," Jane was quick to reply, having been looking forward to her daughter's birthday all week. "It's going to be a _great_ day."

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Full of excitement and anxious for her friends and family to arrive for her party, Amelia had woken up early the next morning, immediately making her way down the hall where her mothers were still sleeping. The couple, who had been up late talking, had tried to convince Amelia to go back to sleep, but had ultimately failed, eventually giving in to starting birthday pancakes despite the fact that they were both still exhausted.

Amelia's mood, which was even happier than usual proved to be contagious, Jane and Maura eventually waking up fully and enjoying a morning spent doing one of Amelia's favourite things: dancing. By the time the trio had finally collapsed on the couch in a fit of laughter, Angela had arrived in the kitchen, beginning her cooking while reminding the family that they needed to get ready.

Though Maura had wanted to dress Amelia in a dress, Jane, after many nights arguing about it, had eventually convinced her girlfriend that a dress wasn't practical considering all the games they had planned for the day, choosing a pair of leggings and colourful top instead. Maura, who was used to stuffy, adult birthday parties when she was a child, didn't truly know how to plan a 6 year old's birthday party, a fact, which Jane pointed out several times as she made treat bags and explained the rules to all the games they would be playing with Amelia's friends and their family.

"Grandma are you going to play with us?" Amelia ran up to Constance Isles, who was sitting in the kitchen with Angela. "We're gonna play musical chairs. Mama said it's lots of fun and Uncle Frankie and Uncle Tommy are gonna play. Do you and Angela want to play?"

"Oh…well…" Constance looked a little taken back, not quite sure what to say.

"Amelia, Grandma and Angela are busy right now," Maura saved her Mother the trouble of having to deny the little blonde. "Go play with your friends and your Uncles. Perhaps your Grandmother will participate in one of the other games," she said, Amelia immediately saying okay before running back to the family room where everyone was waiting for her. "Don't worry Mother, Jane is going to run a game of bingo later, I'm sure you can manage that."

"Thank you," Constance smiled. "She is awfully difficult to say no to."

"Oh you don't have to tell me," Maura laughed, taking a seat next to her Mother. "She's very happy you're here though. We all our," she placed a hand over her Mother's, Angela watching the interaction with a big smile on her face.

Though their relationship was nothing compared to Angela and Jane's, Constance and Maura had managed to mend their rather broken bond quite a bit over the last year. Constance still lived overseas, but was making visits to Boston a regular occurrence; checking in with Amelia as much as possible when she was away.

"Personally I think Janie is the worst at telling her no," Angela joined the conversation, looking to the family room where her children seemed to be having as much fun as Amelia and her friends. "That girl has Janie wrapped around her tiny little finger. All she ever has to do is call her Mama and Jane's practically mush."

"That is true," Maura agreed with a laugh. "Though she is getting better. I mean she wouldn't let Amelia stay up past her bedtime the other night no matter how much Amelia begged and she denied her a second helping of ice cream last week."

"Yeah and I bet she moped about it for hours afterwards," Angela replied, shaking her head.

"Until we went to bed," Maura chuckled.

"Mommy! Come play!" Amelia called from the family room, waving her Mother over enthusiastically, the group getting ready for pin the tail on the donkey.

"Well I must go play," Maura excused herself, giving her Mother's hand a squeeze before joining the party, Amelia immediately wrapping her arms around her.

"They are quite the family aren't they," Constance said as she watched her daughter and granddaughter with a smile on her face. "They're rather wonderful to watch."

"I couldn't agree more," Angela grinned. "They're all just so happy."

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"…Happy birthday dear Mia, happy birthday to you," the family and friends gathered at the Isles/Rizzoli household finished their song as Amelia blew out the candles on the chocolate cake in front of her.

The room erupted into applause; Amelia laughing happily as Jane quickly stuck her finger in the icing, wiping it on the little blonde's nose. "Mama!" Amelia gasped, as Maura was speedy in grabbing the cake and moving it out of the way, knowing how Jane could get carried away. "You got cake on my nose!"

"I sure did," Jane laughed, placing kisses all over the little girl's face before wiping the icing off for her. "What did you wish for Bug?"

"She can't tell you that," Korsak called from the other side of the table.

"Yeah Jane everyone knows that if you tell your wish it won't come true," Frost agreed.

"It's a secret Mama," Amelia nodded seriously, placing a hand on the brunette's cheek. "But I think it's going to come true."

"You do huh?" Jane quirked an eyebrow. "Well will you tell me when it comes true then?" She asked receiving an enthusiastic nod from her daughter. "Good," she gave Amelia one last kiss before Maura called for her to begin passing out cake.

"So Mia are you excited to play with all your new toys?" Angela asked as everyone began receiving cake. "You got a lot of stuff today."

"I love it all," Amelia replied with a big grin. "I can't wait to read all my new books with Mommies and I want to use my new telescope and I love all my new dolls," she rambled rather excitedly. "Oh and I want to watch all my new movies too!"

"You got a lot of new outfits for all your dolls too," Maura said as she rejoined the table. "You can practically have a fashion show with all the clothes your dolls have now."

"Oh I can remember you doing that when you were little Maura," Constance replied from where she sat next to Angela, surprising Maura, who wasn't used you her Mother speaking about her childhood. "You used to gather all your dolls and strut them down the hallways as if they were on a runway. I believe you even went through a phase of making outfits of your own. For a while I was rather convinced that you would pursue a career in fashion. Those dolls were your models."

"Well that explains where Amelia gets it," Jane laughed, placing a hand on Maura's knee underneath the table, knowing Constance's comment would make her girlfriend uncomfortable; that she wouldn't quite know how to handle the situation. "That also explains her flare for fashion now," she added, thinking of the countless dresses filling their walk-in closet.

"I could never get Janie to play with dolls," Angela commented. "I was so excited when I had a little girl. I thought I would get to dress her up and play dolls and have tea parties with her all the time but no," she scoffed. "Janie wasn't happy unless she was running around like a banshee in the dirt. I'm pretty sure she ripped the head off the head of every doll I ever gave her."

"Yeah and she used to hide them in my room," Frankie said, making the table laugh. "Used to find them in my drawers and under my pillow like every day."

"That sounds like Jane," Maura laughed allowing her hand to slip under the table, smiling as it joined with Jane's. "I'm fairly certain she's still happiest when she's running around in the mud."

"Without a doubt," Frost grinned, having watched his partner tackle suspects on various occasions, the brunette always standing back up with a look of joy on her face.

"Mommy can we go play now?" Amelia asked, sitting with her three best friends from school, girls who were regular visitors at their house since Amelia's 5th birthday party the year before.

"Go ahead darling," Maura nodded, smiling as the four girls ran off towards the family room. "I think perhaps we were boring them."

"Probably," Korsak laughed. "Can't imagine why they'd want to hang out with a bunch of adults."

"Yeah me either," Tommy agreed. "In fact I'm going to play with them," he excused himself from the table, the sound of shrieks and laughter filling the house as soon he made it into the family room.

"That boy needs to have children," Angela sighed wistfully.

"Tommy would make a wonderful Father," Maura nodded her agreement. "Amelia absolutely adores him."

"Yeah but let's give the kid time to really get his life together," Jane rolled her eyes, knowing her Mother simply wanted more grandchildren. "I mean the guy can't even do his own laundry. Bug Frankie if you want more grandchildren."

"Hey leave me out of this," Frankie held his hands up. "You always have to get her started," he whined getting up from the table. "I'm going to play with Tommy and the kids."

"I've no hope for those two," Angela shook her head dramatically. "Honestly am I really asking so much? You two will give me more grandchildren won't you?" She asked looking to Maura and Jane who seemed to freeze as everyone left at the table turned their attention on them.

"Oh…umm well…" Maura stuttered, not quite ready to talk about the idea of more children with anyone other than Jane; a topic, which they had spoken about on several different occasions.

"Come on Ma," Jane sighed in frustration. "We're not even married yet. Will you just give us a break?"

"Well I'm not sure what you're waiting for," Angela huffed. "I'm not getting any younger Jane."

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"Well little girl did you have a good day today?" Jane asked later that night as she and Maura tucked a rather sleepy Amelia into bed. "You looked like you had a lot of fun."

"I had the most fun," Amelia nodded with a yawn. "I love my birthday."

"We do too honey," Maura smiled, running her hand over her daughter's blonde hair. "But I think I would prefer if you didn't have anymore for some time. I'm not ready for you to get any older," she said. "I just want you to stay our little girl forever."

"Don't worry Mommy I'm still little," Amelia put her hand over Maura's with a sweet, tired smile on her face.

"Oh good," Maura chuckled, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the little girl's forehead, pulling back and seeing that Amelia's eyes were beginning to drift shut. "Time for sleep sweet girl. I love you."

"Love you too Mommy," Amelia replied sleepily as Jane moved in to give her a hug and a kiss of her own. "Love you Mama."

"Love you too Bug. Happy Birthday Sweetheart," Jane replied before following Maura towards the hallway.

"Mama?" Amelia called before Jane could shut the light off, the brunette looking back to find the small blonde's eyes open, gesturing for her to come back to her bed.

"What is it Sweetheart?" Jane asked, looking back to see that Maura had left them alone.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Amelia asked, keeping her voice low.

"You can tell me anything," Jane nodded, sitting on the edge of her daughter's bed.

"When I blew out the candles I wished that all my birthdays will be like today," Amelia replied, surprising Jane who was always amazed by just how mature the little girl was. "I wished that it would always be as fun and that everyone would always be there like today," she explained. "Do you think it will come true?"

"You know what Honey, I do," Jane smiled, leaning in and kissing Amelia's cheek. "In fact I'm going to make sure it does okay?"

"Okay Mama," Amelia nodded, her eyes once again falling closed, Jane sitting a few moments to watch her fall asleep before she quietly left the room.

Smiling to herself Jane made her way down the hall to the master bedroom, seeing the light on in the closet. "Maur?" She called out even though she knew the blonde was likely changing, as she went to grab something out of her jacket pocket.

"What was that all about?" Maura called back.

"Oh Mia just wanted to tell me something," Jane replied, not quite ready to share that piece of information yet. "Today was pretty perfect huh?" She said, making her way closer to the closet.

"I'm not sure it could have been more perfect," was Maura's reply. "I mean everyone was there; Amelia had a great time. I can't think of anything that would make this day any better."

"Well I could think of one thing," Jane called back, her voice sounding slightly unsure, possibly nervous.

"And what would that be?" Maura asked as she made her way back into the bedroom, freezing in place when she found Jane on one knee in the middle of the room, a small black box in her hand. "Wha…"

"Marry me," Jane's voice regained some of it's confidence despite the fact that her hands were shaking as she opened the box to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "I love you Maura Isles. Will you marry me?"


	2. The Future is Ours

**So happy that so many of you have stuck with me into my sequel! You all make writing worthwhile!**

 **Hope you enjoy this new chapter! -J**

 **Chapter 2- The Future is Ours**

 _"Marry me," Jane's voice regained some of it's confidence despite the fact that her hands were shaking as she opened the box to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "I love you Maura Isles. Will you marry me?"_

Stunned, Maura's mouth fell open, her eyes darting from Jane's face to the ring in her hand, the blonde's mind having not yet registered just what was happening.

"Maur?" Jane snapped Maura out of her stupor, the brunette's voice betraying the nervousness she was obviously feeling.

"I….yes!" Maura's hands went up to cover her mouth, her smile obvious in her eyes, which were now shining with tears. "Yes…oh my…yes! Yes! Yes!" She began laughing, Jane quickly getting to her feet, her arms wrapping around the blonde's waist as she lifted her into the air. "I love you….oh Jane…I love you so much."

Placing Maura back down on her own two feet, Jane pulled the engagement ring out of it's box, her hands shaking as she took Maura's left hand in hers. "I can't imagine my life without you," she said as she began to place the ring on the blonde's finger, her voice shaking only slightly. "I don't even remember my life before you and Amelia came into it, and honestly I don't want to because you two are the best part of my life Maur. You and Mia are my family and I love you both so much and I promise nothing will ever change that."

"I cannot imagine our lives without you Jane Rizzoli," Maura smiled a teary smile as she placed both her hands on Jane's cheeks, her ring sparkling in the light. "I don't know what Amelia and I did to deserve you but I am grateful for you every moment of every day," she leaned in, touching her lips to Jane's.

"I love you so much," Jane practically whispered when they both pulled apart.

"I can't believe this," Maura replied, her smile growing even wider as a lone tear fell down her cheek. "We're getting married."

"We're getting married," Jane nodded, with a big grin of her own. "We're getting married!" She repeated with a rather uncharacteristic squeal, once again lifting Maura from the ground, their lips meeting as the blonde wrapped her legs around Jane's waist. "God I love you," Jane breathed out between kisses, already turning them towards the bed.

"Show me," Maura replied, her hands in Jane's hair, her breathing already heavy. "Show me how much. Please. Show me."

"My pleasure," Jane grinned before dropping Maura down onto the bed.

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Maura woke the next morning to find Jane spooned behind her, the brunette's arms wrapped around her waist, while her own left hand rested on the pillow beside her head; the sight of the engagement ring Jane had given her bringing a smile to her face. As the events of the previous night hit the blonde she felt an excited swoop in her stomach, unable to believe that it hadn't all just been a dream.

"You haven't changed your mind already have you?" Jane's rough, sleep-filled voice startled the Medical Examiner from her thoughts.

"Not a chance," Maura smiled as she rolled over to face the brunette, immediately pulling her in for a kiss. "You're stuck with me now."

"Hmm I don't think there's anyone I would rather be stuck with," Jane replied with a goofy grin, pulling Maura in for another kiss, the pair making out until air became an issue. "As much as I would love to spend the rest of the day just like this I think we better get dressed before Mia gets up," she laughed, the pair having spent so much of the night wrapped up in each other that they had fallen asleep without putting on pajamas; something they didn't usually do in case Amelia came in.

"You're probably right," Maura chuckled softly the pair reluctantly rolling out of bed in order to grab some comfy clothes to change into. "I still cannot believe last night happened," the blonde eventually said, once again staring at the ring on her hand.

"Well you better believe it Baby," Jane laughed, wrapping her arms around Maura from behind, watching as the blonde's hazel eyes seemed to shine as she stared at the diamond on her finger. "Do you like it?" Jane then asked, suddenly worried. "I know it's not really that big or anything but…"

"It's beautiful," Maura interrupted before Jane could say anymore. "It's absolutely perfect and I love it," she spun around so she could face Jane. "I was just thinking about how happy Amelia is going to be when we tell her," she smiled. "I know you're already her Mama but she is going to be so thrilled. I can't wait to see her face."

"Me either," Jane grinned. "In fact, let's wake her up," she suggested excitedly, taking Maura's hands in hers. "Come on," she tugged the blonde towards the hallway. "Please?"

"Let's go," Maura nodded, laughing at the look of delight on the brunette's face.

Feeling like a pair of giddy children, Jane and Maura struggled to stay quiet as they entered Amelia's room, the six year old still sleeping soundly as her Mothers carefully crawled into her bed.

"Mia," Jane called softly, brushing the little blonde's hair out of her face. "Bug. Time to wake up."

"Mama?" Amelia squinted her eyes open. "I'm sleepin'," she grumbled, rolling over only to face Maura.

"We know you're still sleeping Sweetheart but we need you to get up," Maura told her taping her daughter on the nose. "Mommy and Mama have something very exciting to tell you."

"You do?" Amelia opened one eye, looking at her Mother skeptically. "What is it?"

"Well get up and we'll tell you," Jane laughed tickling the little girl's sides.

"Mama!" Amelia bolted up, trying to get away from the brunette's tickling. "No! Please! I'm awake! I'm awake," she giggled, falling against Maura when Jane finally ceased her tickling. "What's exciting?" She asked looking from one Mother to the other.

"Well Bug you remember your birthday wish?" Jane was the one to reply, Amelia whipping her head towards Jane, her eyes wide, obviously worried the brunette was about to reveal her secret. "I think that it's about to come true."

"It is?" Amelia furrowed her brow, not quite understanding.

"It is," Jane nodded, still taking the lead since Maura hadn't heard Amelia's wish. "Do you know what it means when two people get married?"

"Cinderella and Prince Charming got married," was Amelia's reply. "They had a wedding and Cinderella wore a pretty dress."

"Yes," Maura nodded, having watched the movie with the six year old several times. "And when they got married they made a promise to each other to be together and to love each other for their whole lives. People get married to be a family because they love each other so much."

"And because I love you and your Mom so much I asked her to marry me," Jane revealed, watching as Amelia's face slowly broke out into a big grin.

"You did?" Amelia's eyes were wide with excitement.

"She did," Maura nodded. "And I said yes. Your Mama and I are going to be married."

"You are?" Amelia leaped up, standing up on her bed. "You're going to have a wedding? With pretty dresses?"

"We sure are," Jane laughed, knowing Maura would definitely fight for her to wear a dress even if she didn't want to. "We'll even get a real pretty one for you."

"And you are going to be together forever?" Amelia then asked, bouncing excitedly.

"Yes. We are," Jane answered confidently, smiling as her eyes met Maura's. "So what do you think Bug? Are you excited?"

"Yes!" Amelia squealed, wrapping an arm around both women's necks. "I'm _so_ excited!"

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"So what do you think the odds of Amelia actually keeping our secret until we get home are?" Jane asked Maura Monday morning, the newly engaged couple on their way to a crime scene.

"Well she's much better at keeping secrets than she used to be," Maura replied, her focus on the road in front of her, having refused to allow Jane to drive. "Sometimes she just forgets that things are supposed to be a secret. We should be okay as long as nothing about weddings or marriage comes up while she's with Angela."

"Oh well then we're screwed," Jane scoffed. "All my Ma talks about lately is when we're gonna get married and when we're gonna have babies. The whole family will know by the time we get home from work."

"Let's just have a little faith in Amelia," Maura laughed, pulling up to the address dispatch had given them. "Are we still sure we want to tell just our Mothers first though?" She asked as they both got out of the car. "Because like you said once your Mother knows…."

"I'll tell her that if she tells anyone before we get the chance then she won't be invited to the wedding," Jane replied with a shrug, Maura laughing until she turned to the brunette and realized she was serious. "What'd you do with your ring anyways?"

"Oh it's with me," Maura replied, smiling as she pulled a chain out from under her dress, her engagement ring hanging off of it. "I didn't like the idea of not having it with me."

"Good because frankly I really hated that you already had to take it off," Jane said with a pretend pout. "After we tell our Mothers I would prefer you never take it off."

"Trust me I plan on keeping it on forever," Maura smiled, tucking the ring back under her dress as they made their way inside the house that was their crime scene. "My Mother is supposed to be at the house by 7 by the way."

"Great," Jane nodded as she and Maura both began pulling on gloves, heading towards Korsak and Frost who they could see at the back of the house standing over what was obviously their victim. "Let's hope that whatever this is doesn't keep us all night then. What do we got guys?"

"Lucy Albertson, age 32," Korsak read from the notebook he pulled out of his front pocket. "Neighbour came over to return something she had borrowed to find the front door open and called it in. She said she last spoke to Lucy late yesterday afternoon so my guess is she was killed sometime during the night," he continued. "She's married to a Craig Albertson who currently cannot be reached. No one has seen him since he returned home from work yesterday. His car is in the garage."

"So he either killed his wife and made a run for it or…" Jane began.

"Or someone killed Lucy and took Craig with them," Frost finished for his partner. "It looks like Lucy was hit over the head with something though we haven't figured out what yet," he explained as Maura knelt down next to the body. "We also figured we'd leave the COD up to Dr. Isles," he grinned. "I've been waiting for you to get here so we could take a look upstairs," he then turned his attention to Jane.

"Alright let's take a look around," Jane nodded. "I'll meet you back at the precinct Dr. Isles?"

"I'll start the autopsy as soon as I can Detective Rizzoli," Maura was unable to hide her smile.

"You two seem happy," Frost said as he and Jane headed for the stairs.

"We are happy," Jane replied, a smile on her face that she knew would probably be there all day, unable to contain the excitement she felt at now being engaged to Maura. "Actually I don't think I've ever been happier buddy," she clapped her partner on the back. "Now come on. Let's go solve a murder."

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Despite the fact that there was still a murder to solve, Jane and Maura managed to get out of work on time that evening, returning home to find Amelia and Angela sitting together at the dining room table, the little girl's school work in front of them.

"Is Angela helping you with your school work darling?" Maura asked placing a kiss on the top of her daughter's head while Jane locked away her badge and gun.

"Oh please Mia doesn't need any help," Angela scoffed as Maura greeted her with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "This kid takes after her Mother. She's smarter than any kid I've ever met," she said as Amelia beamed happily beside her.

"She's a genius just like her Mommy," Jane added, giving both Amelia and Angela kisses. "Thanks for watching her Ma. You're still going to join us for dinner right? Constance will be here in a couple hours."

"Of course," Angela nodded. "Are you sure you two don't want me to whip something up? You've been at work all day; I really don't mind."

"Oh no thank you Angela," Maura was quick to reply; wanting to make dinner for her Mother and future Mother-in-law herself since it was a special occasion. "We picked some things up on our way home. I'll take care of dinner tonight, you just relax and let us play hostesses for a change."

"All right if you insist," Angela replied, not suspecting a thing. "I think I'll just go clean up in the guest house then for a little bit. I'll be back soon."

"Thanks Ma," Jane nodded, watching as her Mother left out the door before sitting next to Amelia. "Did you have a good day at school Bug?" She asked, Maura immediately moving into the kitchen to start on dinner.

"I got extra writing work because I finished mine faster than everyone else," Amelia told her with a big smile.

"Of course you did," Jane chuckled, running her hand over the little blonde's hair. "And did you manage to keep our big secret for us?"

"Yes I did," Amelia nodded. "But it was not easy," she said rather seriously. "Are we gonna tell soon?"

"We'll tell my Ma and your Grandma tonight, and then we'll be able to tell everyone else," Jane smiled, placing a kiss on Amelia's forehead. "Now you finish your work and then get washed up for dinner okay?" She asked, Amelia nodding before Jane made her way to the kitchen to help Maura. "You know maybe it's time we start reconsidering that whole skipping a grade thing," she mentioned, accepting the knife Maura held out for her in order to begin chopping vegetables for the salad. "I mean her teacher has to give her extra work almost every day. The kid's gonna get bored."

"I know," Maura sighed, glancing up at her daughter who was immersed in her work. "She's just been so happy lately. I mean she has friends in her class now. I hate to take that away from her."

"I know Maur, but aren't you the one always saying that we need to provide her with all the best opportunities we can offer her?" Jane countered, understanding the blonde's worries about her daughter's socializing skills, but also knowing that Amelia's education was important to her. "She'd still get to see her friends. She would just be in a different class during the day, somewhere more challenging. And who knows maybe she'll make even more friends," she pointed out, watching Maura's face as she struggled with the decision. "Hey look, we don't have to decide anything tonight. I'm just saying it's something to think about."

"I know," Maura nodded, smiling as Jane gave her a chaste kiss. "We'll decide together though? I mean we'll sit down with her teacher and really think about it? Together?"

"Of course!" Jane beamed, thrilled that Maura always included her in the decisions regarding Amelia. "Now let's get this night going because I'm ready to tell the world that I got the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth to agree to marry me," she grinned, Maura laughing beside her.

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"Thank you for inviting me for dinner this evening ladies," Constance turned to Jane and Maura after the gathered family finished eating that night. "This has been wonderful."

"We were happy you could make it before you left again," Maura smiled as Jane's hand found hers on top of the table. "Jane and I really just wanted to do something to thank you and Angela for everything you did for Amelia's birthday. I mean you both spoiled her rotten," she winked at the six-year-old.

"Of course we did," Angela was the one to reply. "She deserves it. Plus that's what Grandmothers are for," she said, watching as Jane and Maura exchange a rather giddy look with each other. "What's going on with you two anyways? You've been acting strange all night."

"No we haven't," Jane was quick to argue.

"Actually I have to agree with Angela," Constance chimed in. "You both seem to be a little off. It's as if you're hiding something," she raised an eyebrow not missing the fact that Amelia clapped a hand over her mouth. "Are you hiding something?"

"Well not exactly," Maura replied, getting nervous, as she could not lie. "We aren't hiding anything, there's just something that we wanted to share with you, which is why we asked you both here tonight."

"Something you want to…." Angela's excitement was immediate. "Oh my God are you…"

"Ma," Jane interrupted. "Will you just let us tell you?" She asked in annoyance, Angela nodded as she pursed her lips, gesturing for her daughter to continue. "Well," Jane squeezed Maura's hand. "Saturday night, after Amelia's birthday party I…I asked Maura to marry me," she revealed, both Angela and Constance gasping in surprise and excitement.

"And I accepted," Maura smiled, pulling her ring out from under her dress, taking it off it's chain and placing it on her finger where it belonged. "We're going to be married," she held up her hand.

"Oh I knew it!" Angela was practically bursting with excitement, immediately getting to her feet in order to embrace the couple. "Oh I'm so happy," she threw her arms around both women. "My Janie is going to be married! I always thought…I never…oh and Maura!"

"Thank you Angela," Maura laughed, still smiling as she pulled away from the older Rizzoli. "We're quite happy as well," she said, turning towards her Mother who was still sitting, a rather shocked smile on her face. "Mother?"

"Congratulations," Constance tilted her head to one side, her smile genuine as she stood up and held her arms open to her daughter. "This is wonderful news," she said when she pulled back, her hands on Maura's shoulders as she turned to Jane who was standing with her own Mother. "I'm happy for you both. My daughter and granddaughter are incredibly lucky to have found you Jane," she smiled, moving to give the brunette a rather uncharacteristic hug.

"I'm the lucky one," Jane returned the hug with a grin still on her face. "But thank you Constance. Maura and I really wanted to tell you and my Ma before we shared the news with anyone else. We're so glad to see you both so happy for us," she wrapped an arm around Maura's waist.

"Of course we're happy," Angela's eyes were wet with tears of joy. "This is just fantastic news! There's going to be a wedding! It's wonderful!" She beamed. "I hope you two will let me help."

"Of course," Maura nodded, knowing Angela would want to be involved with as much as possible. "We'd love that."

"I have quite a few contacts in the city that could help you with the planning," Constance added. "Venues and catering and what not. I'd be happy to leave you their numbers."

"That would be great," Jane smiled, grateful for the older woman's acceptance since they had gotten off to a rough start when they had first met. "Thank you."

"And what about you Amelia?" Constance then turned her attention towards the young girl who had remained rather quiet, still sitting in her seat, watching the adults. "Are you happy for your Mothers?"

"Oh yes," Amelia nodded enthusiastically, a big smile on her face. "I'm very happy! The happiest!"


	3. Finding Hope

**As I am in the Christmas season I am working crazy hours, meaning I have less time for writing, but I will do my best to keep up with my stories. Please remain patient!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! –J**

 **As always flashbacks are in italics.**

 **Chapter 3- Finding Hope**

Once Angela had been told about Jane and Maura's engagement, the couple knew they needed to inform the rest of their friends and family before the elder Rizzoli accidently blabbed. Since Jane refused to host another big dinner in order to make the announcement, she and Maura had taken to telling people casually; allowing Frankie and Tommy to figure it out as Maura waved her left hand in front of their faces, while Jane told Korsak and Frost over donuts at the precinct.

"My Mother wants to throw us an engagement party," Jane scoffed, letting herself into Maura's office, startling the Medical Examiner who quickly shut her laptop. "What are you doing?"

"Hm? Oh nothing," Maura shook her head, trying to sound casual. "It's nothing. Your Mother wants to throw us a party? I take it from the way you burst in here that you don't like the idea?"

"What do we need to have an engagement party for?" Jane demanded. "I mean seriously. The entire family gets together every Sunday night for dinner; your Mom even joins us when she can. What do we need to have a party for?"

"Well I suppose your Mother would just like to do something nice for us in order to celebrate our engagement," Maura tried to reason. "It's nice of her to offer. Perhaps we could invite some people from work. We haven't really gotten around to sharing the news with everyone around the precinct."

"Wait you're actually going along with this?" Jane asked looking as well as sounding shocked. "You do realize that my Mom is just looking for a reason to cook a big meal and show us off to her friends right? And her hosting means having to use your house?"

"Yes Jane that did occur to me," Maura nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Would it really be so bad to allow your Mother this one opportunity to show you off? She's happy for you…for us. I think we should let her do this."

Opening her mouth to argue, Jane quickly shut it again as she noticed the stern look on her fiancé's face. "Fine," she plopped down on Maura's couch, ignoring the fact that the blonde looked like she wanted to scold her. "So what were you doing when I came in here anyways?" She asked. "And don't try and tell me it was nothing. You'll get hives."

"Oh well I was just…" Maura tried to come up with an excuse that wouldn't cause her to break out. "I was just looking for someone."

"Looking for someone?" Jane raised an eyebrow. "We got a case I forgot about?"

"No," Maura shook her head, avoiding Jane's gaze.

"You working on something for another team?"

"No," Maura once again replied. "It's not work related. It's…well it's personal," she explained, her cheeks turning red as she still refused to look her fiancé in the eyes.

"It's personal," Jane repeated, sounding slightly confused as she kept her attention focused on Maura who was looking more and more suspicious. "Who would you be looking…oh my God!" Realization suddenly hit her. "You're looking for her! But I thought you said…"

"Jane will you please keep your voice down," Maura scolded, quickly getting up and shutting her office door as they were drawing the attention of several of her coworkers. "I know I said I wasn't interested in finding her, but I changed my mind," she shrugged. "Curiosity got the best of me I suppose."

"Well what did you find out?" Jane was quick to ask. "Did you find her?"

"Not yet," Maura shook her head, sounding disappointed. "I mean I don't exactly have much to go on. All I know is her name is Hope," she continued.

"Well you could always ask Pa…."

"No," Maura interrupted before Jane could finish her sentence. "I'm not asking him," she shook her head. "I'll find her eventually. On my own."

"Okay," Jane nodded in understanding, reaching out for the blonde's hand, pulling her to sit down next to her. "But if you need any help….well…I'm here."

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 _"Hey Maur, Frost wants me to grab a beer with him tonight. I think he's got girl troubles or something. Do you mind if I run out for a couple hours or…what are you looking at?" Jane came up behind her girlfriend, who was sitting at the kitchen island, to find a picture of Paddy Doyle on the blonde's laptop screen. "What are you doing reading about him again? Are you trying to torture yourself? I thought you wanted to forget about Doyle for a while?"_

 _"I'm not…I'm…it's not what you think," Maura sighed, closing her laptop as the brunette took a seat on the stool beside her. "I'm not reading to find out about him," she shook her head, having had this discussion about not wanting to know her birth father with Jane several times in the last few weeks. "I just wanted to see if there was ever any mention of…well I was just a little curious about…"_

 _"Maur," Jane placed a hand over the blonde's, interrupting since the Medical Examiner was obviously struggling. "What's going on?"_

 _"I was curious about my Moth…my birth Mother," Maura explained. "I was just reading about Paddy's past to see if her name ever comes up. I mean it's the only thing I actually know about her."_

 _"I thought Paddy had to hide her from his Father," Jane furrowed her eyebrows. "You wouldn't really be able to find her on the Internet then would you?"_

 _"Probably not," Maura sighed, resting her chin on her hand, looking forlorn. "I don't even know why I started looking. It's not as if I really need to know who my birth Mother is. My Mother has been making such an effort to be involved in my life and here I am searching the Internet for a woman I've never even met."_

 _"I'm pretty sure you're allowed to be curious about her Maur," Jane said, squeezing the blonde's hand. "I think even your Mother would understand why you would want to know your biological Mother, especially considering who your biological Father is. I mean I'm a little curious as to who could fall for someone like Paddy."_

 _"It is a little confusing," Maura nodded, Jane hating how sad the blonde looked. "Finding out about Paddy was such a shock and rather disappointing for me, part of me is afraid of what I will find out if I do locate Hope," she explained. "But another part of me needs to know."_

 _"That makes sense," Jane nodded in understanding. "But you know there's one simple way for you to find out about her," she said carefully, biting her lip. "You could ask Pa…."_

 _"No," Maura interrupted, shaking her head before Jane could finish her thought. "I'm not…I don't want to go there," she said. "I'm not ready to go there."_

 _"Okay," Jane replied, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's shoulder, pulling her closer. "That's okay."_

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"Mama! Mama!" Amelia's voice carried down the stairs followed by the sound of footsteps running down the stairs.

"Slow down," Jane called back from the kitchen, envisioning the six year old taking a tumble. "What is it Bug?" She asked as the little blonde came around the corner wearing her school uniform, a pair of black shoes in her hand.

"Will you help with the laces?" Amelia asked, holding the shoes out. "I tried and tried but I can't get them and I can't find Mommy."

"Sure thing kiddo," Jane smiled, lifting Amelia up on to one of the island stools and kissing her forehead before taking the shoes from her hands. "Shoe tying is tricky business huh?" She chuckled, knowing the young Isles had been growing frustrated by the fact that she couldn't seem to pick up on the skill that Maura was constantly trying to teach her.

"I don't like it Mama," Amelia shook her head, a serious look on her face. "Mommy says it's easy but it is not."

"Oh you'll get it eventually Bug," Jane tilted the little girl's chin so they were looking in each other's eyes. "It just takes practice. Don't worry," she placed a kiss on Amelia's nose before slipping one of the shoes on her feet. "Now watch me."

Both focused, neither heard Maura descending the stairs, Jane silently trying to show Amelia how to tie her shoe, only looking up when Maura entered the kitchen with a rather dazed look on her face.

"Good Morning Beautiful," Jane greeted, carefully watching as Maura continued towards her coffee machine as if she hadn't heard her. "You okay there Maur? Maura? Maur…."

"Mommy!" Amelia called out when Jane got no reaction, Maura finally snapping out of her daze and looking up at the pair who were both watching her with curious looks on their faces.

"Yes Sweetheart?" Maura replied. "Oh did you get your shoe tied on your own?"

"Mama did it," Amelia shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows. "Mama was calling you Mommy."

"Oh," Maura looked surprised, turning her attention to the brunette. "You were?"

"You seemed to be daydreaming a little bit there," Jane nodded, still watching her fiancé carefully. "Everything okay?"

"Oh yes," Maura nodded absentmindedly just as both her and Jane's cell phones began to ring. "Amelia run up and get your bag, Angela will have to take you to school this morning," she said as she glanced at the clock, realizing it would be too early to drop her daughter off at school before heading to whatever crime scene they were being sent to. "Isles," she answered just as Jane picked up her own phone.

"Later?" Jane asked as she covered the mouthpiece of her phone, understanding that even if Maura said that everything was okay there was obviously something going on.

"Later," Maura nodded, giving the brunette a small, reassuring smile.

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Though she had wanted to talk to Maura sooner rather than later, Jane knew better than to ask her fiancé what was going on in the car, understanding that whatever was happening would require a bigger conversation than they would have time for on their way to work. As soon as the Detective saw the victim at their crime scene she knew it would be a while before she was able to really talk to Maura, as both were forced to put all their focus on work.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that Jane was finally able to break away from Frost and Korsak, heading down to the morgue with the excuse of wanting to be there for the autopsy.

"I found her," Maura blurted out as soon as Jane entered the morgue, not even needing to turn away from the body she was currently cutting into to know it was her fiancé who had entered. "I found my birth Mother. I found Hope."

"You…But I thought you couldn't…how?" Jane gaped, freezing in the middle of the room, slightly startled by this new revelation. "Last week you said you didn't have enough to go on. How did you find her? Who is she?"

"It took a lot of digging and quite a few rather extensive searches," Maura replied, her focus still on the body of their victim. "But eventually I was able to narrow it down. Open up my laptop there," she pointed to where her computer sat. "It's all there."

Making her way over to the computer, Jane quickly opened it up, a picture and article immediately lighting up the screen. "Dr. Hope Martin," she read out loud. "Wow Maur…she looks just like you."

"Technically I look like her," Maura replied, finally putting her scalpel down in order to turn towards the brunette. "The picture was enough to solidify my findings. It's obvious that this woman is my biological Mother."

"You obviously take after her quite a bit," Jane said, still reading through the article. "I mean she's a Doctor just like you, which means she's probably really smart too," she continued. "Man did you read all this? She sounds amazing."

"I know," Maura sighed, pulling off her gloves as she moved to lean against the counter across from Jane, a sad look on her face. "I feel like I'm cheating on my Mother."

"What?" Jane looked up at the blonde, unable to hide her surprise. "Maur what do you…of course you're not cheating on your Mother! You're allowed to be curious about Hope Maur, especially after everything you've found out about your birth parents in the last year," she continued. "We've talked about this before, I'm pretty sure anyone in your shoes would want to know more about where they came from."

"I know it's just that…" Maura paused. "My Mother calls. She calls multiple times a week and talks with both me and Amelia," she explained. "She visits whenever she's in the city and she stays longer than an hour when she does. She has also taken the time to get to know you, which she does not usually do with anyone I'm in a relationship with; things have been so good Jane."

"Yes, but this doesn't have to change that," Jane told her. "I'm sure if you just talked to your Mother…if you just told her about finding Hope then she would…"

"No," Maura was quick to interrupt. "I don't want to tell her about this. I'm….I don't even really know why I've continued searching for Hope."

"Well you're going to contact her aren't you?" Jane asked. "You're gonna call her or email her or something?"

"And say what exactly?" Maura countered. "Hi Hope, this is Maura Isles, the daughter you thought died over thirty years ago, who's actually been alive and well this whole time. That would go well," she sounded slightly bitter. "There's no way I could ever contact her."

"Oh come on Maur I'm sure you could…" Jane tried to argue, falling silent as she really thought about what could happen if Maura were to call the Mother who thought she was dead. "There's gotta be some way," she bit her lip. "I mean don't you at least want to meet her?"

"Of course I do," Maura sighed, looking up with eyes glossed over with tears. "But there's just no way. I can't."

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Seeing how sad Maura was, Jane didn't bring Hope up again for the rest of the day, still hoping to find some way for her fiancé to meet her birth Mother, but not wanting to interfere at the moment. Though they hadn't gotten very far with their current case, the couple had made it home from work just after dinner, grateful for Angela who had plates ready for them as soon as they walked in the door.

"Mommy, Mama!" Amelia ran towards the front door as soon as her Mothers came in the door. "I missed you!" She jumped into Maura's arms.

"We missed you too Darling," Maura kissed Amelia's cheek as Jane kissed the top of her head. "How was school today?"

"My teacher gave me a note for you," Amelia replied. "She wants to see you."

"Ah yes she was supposed to get back to me about when we could meet," Maura nodded, carrying Amelia over to the kitchen where the note sat on the counter. "Jane are you available Thursday night? I'd really like us to talk to her together."

"I'll be there," Jane nodded as she greeted her Mother in the kitchen. "Hi Ma," she gave the older woman a kiss on the cheek. "Did the little Monster behave for you today?" She asked, tickling Amelia's stomach as she sat down next to Maura.

"She was an angel as always," Angela replied, placing plates in front of both women. "Now eat. You two work way too much. You need to keep up your strength."

"Thank you Angela," Maura smiled as Amelia rested against her chest while she began to eat.

"Mommy how come you gotta talk to my teacher?" Amelia asked, looking up at the older blonde. "Am I in trouble?"

"No sweetheart you're not in trouble at all," Maura reassured her. "In fact it's just the opposite. You've been doing so well in school that Mama and I are going to talk to your teacher about what we can do so that you don't get too bored in class."

"Like how I get extra work?" Amelia asked.

"Just like that," Jane nodded. "We're just talking though kiddo. Nothing to be worried about."

"Okay," Amelia shrugged, obviously not too concerned. "Is it okay if I go play with my dolls now?"

"Sure Honey, but after we finish eating how about we all sit and read a couple chapters of your book?" Maura suggested, wanting to spend some time with the little blonde.

"Yes please!" Amelia beamed happily before jumping off her Mother's lap and running off towards the family room.

"You think her teacher is going to suggest her skipping a grade next year still?" Jane asked once Amelia was out of earshot.

"Most likely," Maura nodded. "When I talked to her on the phone she did agree that we need to come up with some sort of solution to Amelia's boredom. She's getting through class assignments far too quickly."

"That's because she's smart like her Mother," Jane grinned, leaning forward for a kiss. "You know Mia's an amazing kid Maur. You've done such a great job with her."

"She makes it rather easy," Maura smiled. "I feel very lucky to be her Mother."

"So do I," Jane admitted, matching grins on her and Maura's faces. "And you know what? I think Hope would consider herself lucky to find out you were her daughter," she then added, not missing the flash of sadness on Maura's face. "I know you don't want to contact her, but I really think you should reconsider. Hope deserves to know the truth, and I think it would be good for you."

"Jane…" Maura sighed.

"Just think about it," Jane interrupted before Maura could make another excuse. "I know it's complicated. And I know it's probably really scary, but I really think you should give it some more thought."

"I…I'll think about it," Maura relented, smiling as Jane leaned in for another kiss.

"That's all I ask."


	4. Decisions, Decisions

**I was hoping to have this chapter posted last night but a crazy snow storm resulted in a power outage, which prevented me from doing so. I am working every day from now until Christmas so it's unlikely that I will be able to post again before that, but I will try to write a chapter for one of my stories. Hope everyone enjoys the holidays!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! –J**

 **Disclaimer: Some of the storyline comes from the episode "Throwing Down the Gauntlet from Season 3**

 **Chapter 4- Decisions, Decisions**

"I'm late, I'm sorry! I am so late," Jane rushed into Amelia's Senior Kindergarten classroom looking slightly flustered as she interrupted Maura and Mrs. Kensington, who had been chatting casually as they waited for the Detective. "I'm really sorry. I had every intention of getting out early but then we got a lead and I had to run some searches and…."

"Jane," Maura interrupted with an amused look on her face as she watched the brunette try to catch her breath. "It's okay," she assured her, knowing how much her fiancé cared about this meeting. "Mrs. Kensington and I have just been catching up while we waited for you. It's no problem."

"Yes, it's very nice to see you again Detective Rizzoli," Mrs. Kensington, an older woman who had been teaching for close to 30 years, greeted Jane. "I'm so glad that both you and Maura could meet with me. And I hear congratulations are in order as well. Amelia told the whole class about how her Mothers were going to be married," she smiled.

"Oh thank you," Jane finally took her seat next to Maura, her face slightly red; grateful when Maura reached out and took her hand. "Mia is quite excited about the wedding."

"She has talked about nothing else the last week," Mrs. Kensington smiled. "She has been quite engaged with the other students, which I know is something you worried about last year when she started out," she continued, getting down to business. "Socially Amelia is doing extremely well. She has a close group of friends but she also seems rather comfortable interacting with the rest of the class as well. She is quite a bit ahead of them though intellectually and I'm afraid it has resulted in quite some boredom during work periods," she explained. "I've done as much as I can to offer extra work and tasks to keep her challenged, but I am afraid that this will only mean she will continue to feel bored next year as she's already completing most of the work that would be covered in first grade."

"So you still think she should skip a grade?" Jane was the one to ask.

"I think it's our best option," Mrs. Kensington nodded. "Amelia is so gifted and has such a big love of learning. I think to not skip her ahead would be depriving her of the education she deserves."

"But won't it risk setting her back socially?" Maura voiced her biggest concern. "She's been doing so well making friends, which we really didn't think was possible at one point. I'm just afraid if she skips a grade she will struggle to make friends in her new class."

"I understand your concern," the teacher replied with a nod. "However I do think that Amelia may relate better to the students in her new class," she continued. "And she will still be able to see her friends during recess and outside of school. It will be an adjustment yes, but I really do believe she will do well."

"And what would happen the rest of this year if we do decide to have her skip?" Jane asked, giving Maura's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Since we're more than halfway through the year obviously we will have Amelia continue on with the rest of the year here with me," Mrs. Kensington explained. "However I would have her spend some time in the first grade room in order to get to know her new classmates. And I will continue to offer her work that will keep her challenged and ensure that she would be going into second grade prepared."

"That seems to make the most sense," Maura nodded, looking slightly anxious as she turned to Jane. "What do you think about all this?" She asked her future wife. "You think it's a good idea?"

"I do," Jane nodded, seeming slightly cautious. "But I will support whatever you decide."

"We need to decide together," Maura shook her head, sighing as she bit her lip nervously.

"We don't have to decide anything today," Mrs. Kensington interrupted. We still have several months left of the school year. For now I can keep doing what I've been doing and when you've both decided what you want to do you can give me a call. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes, very," Maura nodded, looking relieved to not have to make a decision right away as all three women stood up, understanding that the conversation was over for now. "Thank you so much again for seeing us. We'll be in touch?"

"I look forward to hearing from you," Mrs. Kensington replied with a kind smile. "Have a good night ladies."

"Thank you," Jane grinned, leading Maura by the hand towards the hallway. "Let's go Dr. Isles. We've got some decisions to make."

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Though they had a lot to think about Jane and Maura had remained uncharacteristically quiet on the way home, both thinking quietly rather than sharing their thoughts with each other. By the time they had arrived home they were met with an over-energetic Amelia, who had been given too many chocolate cookies from her Uncle Tommy, who was babysitting for the night. Needing to wrangle Amelia into bed, the couple busied themselves with bath and story time, the little blonde eventually winding down enough to finally fall asleep.

"We're gonna do it right?" Jane was the one to finally break the silence once she and Maura had retreated to their bedroom for the night. "I mean I know we said we were gonna take some time to think about this…about how it affects Mia, but we're gonna do it right? I mean…we kind of have to don't we?"

"Why would we have to?" Maura asked, coming out of the walk-in closet wearing a silk nightgown and robe. "We don't _have_ to do anything."

"I think we owe it to Amelia to do it though," Jane pointed out, pulling off her clothes in order to put her pajamas on as well. "I mean the kid deserves the chance to excel. Mia is too smart not to give her this chance Maur. You see that don't you?"

"Of course I do Jane," Maura sighed, plopping down on the bed. "But I'm worried about how upset Amelia will be when she finds out she won't be in class with her friends anymore," she continued. "I hate to take that away from her."

"She's still going to have her friends Maur," Jane reminded Maura, sitting down next to the blonde and rubbing her leg comfortingly. "And she's going to get to meet a whole new class of kids. She's going to make even more friends."

"And what if she doesn't?" Maura countered, turning to the brunette. "What if we decide this for her and she hates it?"

"Then we pull her back out," Jane was quick to reply, shrugging her shoulders as if it was the simplest answer in the world. "We pull her out, she goes back to her regular class and we find some other way to make sure she doesn't get bored," she explained. "It'll be okay Maur. We'll work it out however this turns out, but we owe it to Mia to give this a shot."

"I know," Maura nodded. "I know. You're right," she sighed, unsure why she was suddenly so nervous about this decision. "We'll need to talk to Amelia though. You'll talk to her with me?"

"Of course I will," Jane grinned, wrapping her arms around the blonde before pulling her down so they were lying together, placing a kiss on the side of her head. "Always."

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Though the couple knew it would be best to talk to Amelia sooner rather than later, it was a case that woke them early the next morning; the sun not even up yet as they both answered their phones to find out where they were needed. Not wanting to wake Amelia, Jane and Maura had both tiptoed into her room in order to give her a kiss before leaving her with Angela, who would get her off to school.

Arriving at the crime scene, Jane and Maura found Korsak and Frost waiting for them. "Where's our vic?" Jane called out as she followed Jane into the alleyway. "Don't tell me you lost them already."

"Nah, she's in there," Frost pointed to the dumpster he was standing beside. "Sorry Dr. Isles looks like you may have to get a little dirty today. Probably should have worn something a little less fancy," he said, glancing at the skirt and heels the medical examiner was wearing.

"Oh no problem," Maura shook her head, pulling a white jumpsuit out of her bag and zipping it up over her outfit before climbing up into the dumpster.

"Dr. Isles always comes prepared," Jane replied with a grin. "And she happens to love dumpster diving," she said, laughing at the surprised look on Frost's face. "Do we know who she is?" She then asked, peering into the dumpster at the body of the young woman lying inside.

"Name's Celia Jaffe, 27 years old," Korsak read from the wallet Maura had pulled off the young woman and handed to him. "Although it's difficult to tell if the picture matches considering how badly she's been beaten."

"Her hands have been burnt as well," Maura held up the woman's arm revealing a hand, which was burnt to a crisp.

"Wow someone really wanted to torture her," Jane said, a disgusted look on her face. "Any guess as to cause of death."

"Jane you know I don't guess," Maura practically scoffed. "Plus it's almost impossible to tell given how severely she was beaten. I won't know much until I perform the autopsy."

"Okay then," Jane nodded, reaching a hand towards her fiancé. "Let's get you out of that dumpster than Doc. That's enough playing for the day."

"Ha ha," Maura replied sarcastically, allowing Jane to help her out of the dumpster. "I'll have my techs move the body. Are you driving back with me or are you going back to the precinct with Frost and Korsak?"

"I'll hang back with the guys," Jane replied. "I will come down to see you later?"

"Sounds good," Maura nodded giving Jane a smile and a wink. "I will see you after Detective."

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"Well it turns out our victim is not Celia Jaffe," Jane announced as she let herself in to Maura's office later that day where the blonde was searching something on her computer. "In fact I just talked to the real Celia whose purse was stolen then returned to her with everything except her ID," she explained. "So obviously our vic was hiding from someone and I'm willing to guess that, that someone finally caught up with her. What are you doing?" She finally noticed the suspicious look on her fiance's face. "Don't tell me you're sitting here looking up Hope again."

"She founded a medical relief agency for doctors to help woman and children and she's been living abroad for the last 20 years," Maura replied, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "She even developed a technique to identify victims of genocide that's still widely used and she has an 18 year old daughter. Which means I have a sister. Well a half sister. And Hope she's…she's absolutely amazing, which is all a little intimidating but also incredibly fascinating."

"So then why don't you contact her?" Jane asked with a sigh, still not understanding why Maura was hesitating to get in touch with her birth Mother when she so obviously wanted to.

"Because Jane, obviously Hope doesn't want to meet me," Maura shook her head sadly.

"What do you mean she doesn't want to meet you? Maura she doesn't even know you're alive!" Jane exclaimed.

"She's back in Boston," Maura told her. "My relationship with Paddy has been all over the news; it was covered by nearly every news outlet in the city. There's no way Hope hasn't seen it and I'm sure she would be able to do the math and ascertain who I am and yet she hasn't reached out. Which leads me to the conclusion that she doesn't want to meet me."

"Maura," Jane did her best not to sound frustrated. "You have no way of knowing if she's seen the news coverage. I mean it sounds to me a little like you're guessing," she said, earning a glare from the blonde as she resisted the urge to laugh. "And you can't let the assumption that Hope already knows about you prevent you from reaching out to her. Come on Maur," she sighed. "Write her an email. Call her."

"I…" the words seemed to get lost in Maura's throat, looking both anxious and sad. "I need to get started on the autopsy," she said instead, already moving to get her scrubs from her closet. "I need to try and figure out who our victim is. I will call you as soon as I have anything substantial."

"Alright then," Jane sighed, slightly exasperated. "I'll be waiting."

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With Maura still working on identifying their victim, Jane was busy working up in the bullpen, trying to find any lead that may help them figure out who the woman laying downstairs on Maura's table was. With very little to go on, the Detective wasn't having much luck, spending much of her time staring at a blank computer screen, having no idea where to even start.

"Does Maura have anything for us on the victim yet?" Korsak interrupted Jane's daydreaming, startling her slightly.

"She was supposed to text me when she had something," Jane replied, checking her phone to see that it still remained message free. "Apparently she's trying some new method she's never used before, but she wasn't having a lot of luck the last time she messaged me."

"Well when was that?" Korsak asked, obviously starting to get impatient.

"Like an hour ago?" Jane shrugged, not quite sure what was taking her fiancé so long.

"Well do you think you could go see if she has anything for us? We're kind of at a standstill here. We don't even know who we've got dead down there," Korsak raised an eyebrow a little curious as to why Jane wasn't already down in the morgue pestering Maura since that was what she would usually do.

"Oh, uh right," Jane hopped up from her seat. "Right I'll do that," she said, already heading towards the elevator. "I'll let you know what she's found," she called just before the elevator doors closed.

Not quite sure if Maura's mind was truly on the autopsy or still on her birth Mother, Jane was slightly nervous about interrupting the Medical Examiner, knowing how irritable she could get when she was struggling with something. Arriving in the basement, Jane made her way down the hallway, finding Maura hunched over the table in the lab rather than in the autopsy room, a look of frustration on her face.

"Please tell me that look means you're close to an I.D," Jane let herself into the lab, Maura looking up with a look that indicated that was not the case. "Korsak's getting a little impatient up there Maur. You know we can't do much if we don't even know who our victim is. I mean we can't even notify the family or anything."

"I know that Jane," Maura sighed. "I'm trying to get you a useable fingerprint but I haven't had any success yet," she explained. "I need a little bit more time. I have one more finger that I can try."

"One more?" Jane tried to keep the worry out of her voice. "You're uh…you're using a new method?"

"Dr. Martin's method," Maura nodded, her eyes downcast, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Dr…you mean your Mother? You're using your Mother's method?" Jane sounded surprised.

"I'm trying," Maura was irritated. "I just can't seem to get it right," she shook her head. "I've followed the method step by step but it hasn't worked. I'm not quite sure what else to do from here."

"You know what you have to do," Jane replied, the shifting of Maura's gaze indicating she knew exactly what she needed to do in order to be successful. "You need to call Hope!" She said when she received no reply. "You can call her and ask her to help you with this and then you can tell her who you are! It's perfect Maura! Come on!"

"No," Maura was quick to reply, shaking her head. "No absolutely not. I can't," she insisted.

"Maura," Jane sounded exasperated. "Look I get it okay? Really, I get it. But I don't think we have much of a choice here," she tried to reason. "I mean you said so yourself, you only have one more useable finger. We need an I.D on this vic, and clearly you need help with this. Dr. Martin seems to be your only option here. You need to call her."

"I cannot just call her Jane," Maura couldn't believe what her fiancé was suggesting. "You know it's more complicated than that."

"I don't think that's something I know," Jane replied stubbornly, not wanting to force the blonde into anything, but knowing she would need a little push to get there. "What I know is that you want to meet your birth Mother. You're curious about her and you want to know her. This is the perfect opportunity for that, and it's a neutral environment. She's not even gonna know who you are Maur. At least call her to help. You don't have to tell her who you are unless you want to," she continued, watching as Maura bit her lip, obviously thinking. "Maura please. We need a fingerprint. Do it for the case."

Sighing, and looking a little like she wanted to cry, Maura pulled out her phone, dialing the number she had already memorized through her research of her birth Mother. "It's ringing," she said as she put the phone to her ear, a look of panic suddenly crossing her face as she practically threw the object at Jane. "I can't."

With no time to argue, Jane put the phone to her ear, the greeting on the other end kicking her into action. "Hello this is Dr. Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' office calling. Dr. Isles is currently working on a case where she is having a difficult time getting an I.D on the victim and she has been using one of your methods in order to extract a fingerprint," she explained, pausing as she listened to the answer on the other end of the phone as Maura watched on anxiously. "Yes she's having some difficulties and she was hoping that you could come by for a consult…yes as early as possible would be great…yes…half an hour?" She met Maura's widening eyes. "That would be great. I will tell Dr. Isles to expect you. Thank you Dr. Martin. Bye."

Hanging up, Jane looked to the blonde who now looked like she might be sick. "Maura?"

"Half an…half an hour?" Maura practically croaked out. "My birth Mother is going to be here in half an hour?" She looked ready to start hyperventilating.

"She will be here to consult on the case with Dr. Isles," Jane nodded. "It's just for the case Maur. It'll be okay. You can do this."

"I…I don't know if I can," Maura shook her head, her eyes widening with fear. "Oh God. I'm meeting my Mother."


	5. Mother Dearest

**So before we start, I know that parts of this chapter come directly from the show BUT I think these parts are crucial to the storyline, and I needed them in order to go on with my story. So please try and keep that in mind!**

 **I hope you all will enjoy this chapter! Can't wait to keep writing! Have a safe and happy New year! –J**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles, and portions of this chapter come directly from the television show!**

 **Chapter 5- Mother Dearest**

"This was a mistake. I can't do this. You need to call her back," Maura turned to Jane, a look of fear on her face, as she seemed to be on the verge of a full out panic attack. "Call her back and tell her we figured it out. Tell her we don't need her anymore."

"Maur we can't do that," Jane shook her head, placing her hands on the blonde's shoulders, hoping to calm her down. "Listen I know you're nervous but we need her help. We need to figure out who this woman is lying on your table and right now it seems like the only way we're gonna be able to do that is with Hope's help," she tried to reason. "Maura you don't have to tell her anything okay? It'll be okay. You're gonna be okay. You can do this Maur…I know you want to. You're curious about her. You can't deny that."

"I…Whether or not I'm curious about her is besides the point," Maura huffed. "Wanting to know who she is and actually knowing who she is are two different things. What if…what if I don't like her? What if she hates me? This is a terrible idea," Maura continued to rant. "I don't want to do this."

"Maura," Jane sighed, ducking her head so she could look into hazel eyes that she could get lost in for days. "Listen to me okay? Really listen to me," her voice was firm. "She is not going to hate you. She's not. You wanna know how I know that?" She paused, watching as the Medical Examiner's eyes began to water as she nodded. "Because it is impossible to dislike you Maura Isles. You are smart and beautiful and the kindest person I know. You have such a big heart and she's going to see that. She's going to love you."

"I…I'm nervous," Maura admitted, though it seemed unnecessary considering her current behaviour. "This is a big deal. It's…I'm just really nervous."

"I know honey," Jane nodded, kissing the blonde's forehead as she pulled her into a hug. "I know it's scary but you can do this. It's going to be great," she did her best to reassure her, feeling Maura's nerves practically radiating off of her. "You can do this."

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"Her Mother? Really?" Frost practically shouted, standing with Jane in the Division One café, both watching as Maura gave her rather complicated coffee order to Stanley, who stood behind the counter, looking annoyed.

"Shhh will you…keep your voice down," Jane chastised, smacking her partner on the arm. "And yes. Dr. Hope Martin is Maura's birth Mother and she's on her way here to help with the case," she explained, keeping her voice low enough that Maura wouldn't hear. "Maura's kind of losing her cool a little bit though."

"Can you blame her?" Frost raised an eyebrow. "This woman thinks that Maura is dead. I mean there's just no easy way to deal with that. Seems like a lot of pressure if you ask me."

"Yeah well I never asked you," Jane rolled her eyes, refocusing her attention on Maura who was still talking to Stanley, coffee cup now in her hand.

"Could I please have a spoon?" Maura asked politely.

"For what?" Stanley sounded more than annoyed.

"To stir my coffee," Maura replied as if it was obvious.

"There are stir sticks right there," Stanley pointed to the box sitting on the counter in front of Maura.

"I don't use them," Maura shook her head, not noticing the woman entering the café behind her. "There's…"

"An after-taste," Hope Martin finished for her, Maura quickly turning around to come face to face with her birth Mother, sure that her shock was clear on her face. "Most coffee stir sticks are made from 100% birch wood, there are no chemicals or toxins or glazes but the birch plant is known to be bitter, thus the slightly unpleasant after-taste," she continued as Jane moved to stand next to Maura, resisting the urge to reach out for the blonde's hand.

"You must be Dr. Martin," Jane intervened, trying to give Maura a moment to compose herself. "I'm Detective Jane Rizzoli," she shook the older woman's hand, immediately taking in all of the similarities between her and Maura. "And this," she put her arms around her fiancée. "Is Dr. Maura Isles," she led her closer to Hope.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Hope smiled, reaching out to shake Maura's hand. "And I must say, I'm flattered that you would contact me for a consult."

"I've tried so many formulas," Maura nodded, looking slightly robotic, obviously still in a state of shock, her nerves getting the best of her as she began to ramble.

"Dr. Isles are you alright?" Hope asked, looking concerned.

"Why because I'm talking too fast? Or too much?" Maura began to ramble. "Or because I'm not making any sense?"

"Actually you're showing signs of urticaria," Hope replied, sounding very much like Maura.

"Oh you have hives," Jane looked at the blonde's chest, which was now covered in red spots, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh no!" Maura exclaimed, bringing her hand up to her neck, feeling a rush of panic, unsure how she was going to survive this meeting with her birth Mother if she was already breaking out in hives.

"Oh Maur," Jane scrambled to come up with an excuse, knowing her fiancé would be unable to tell a lie. "Oh no it must have been because you ate those Brazil nuts," she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, wincing as she realized how ridiculous it sounded. "How many times do I have to tell you to avoid the Brazil nuts?" She said, an amused look on her face as she caught Maura's eye, hoping to break the tension. "Dr. Martin can I get you a coffee?"

"Oh no, no thank you I'm fine," Hope shook her head, turning her attention to Maura. "I would very much like to see your victim."

"And I have a lot of work to do," Jane pointed towards the elevator; giving Maura one last quick look to ensure that she would be okay. "So I'm just…gonna go," she started to back away, Maura giving her a panicked look, unable to protest with Hope standing there.

"Do you have your Epipen?" Hope asked Maura, placing a hand on her arm.

Turning towards Hope, Maura simply pointed towards the elevator, unable to answer, afraid that it would only make her hives worse. Leading the older woman out of the café and towards the elevators, Maura did her best to calm herself down, unsure how she was going to make it through all of this on her own.

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It was difficult. For Maura there was no other word to describe what it was like standing down in the autopsy room with Hope, listening as she explained her rehydration technique and how it had been developed. Though she did her best to contribute to the conversation, Maura couldn't help letting her mind wander, watching Hope as she talked; the similarities between them painstakingly obvious the longer they worked.

"So what made you go from your medical internship to Sarajevo?" Maura asked in an attempt to remain engaged.

"Maybe I was punishing myself," was Hope's first reply, a faraway look on her face that made Maura's heart speed up. "Maybe I didn't believe that I could save people but I knew that I could speak for the dead," she explained, reminding Maura of exactly how she felt about being a Medical Examiner.

"Well I wish I could speak for her," Maura turned towards their still unknown victim, lying on the table. "I mean she's somebody's daughter."

"That's what drives me," Hope nodded understandingly. "Everyone is someone's child," she said, having no idea how those words affected Maura. "You have children?"

"I have a daughter," Maura nodded. "Amelia. She's 6," she smiled as she allowed herself to think of her little girl, watching as a rather sad look fell over Hope's face; Maura feeling certain she knew what the Doctor was thinking about. "You said you were punishing yourself. For what?"

"Something stupid I did when I was 18," Hope replied, Maura's heart feeling like it was sinking. "I hope my own daughter has better judgement than I did then," she said, still working on getting a fingerprint off the last finger they had left.

"What did you do?" Maura asked, unable to resist even though she felt like she was setting herself up to be hurt. "I…you don't have to answer that."

"I got pregnant," Hope looked up from her work. "And the baby died at birth," she continued as Maura bowed her head, unable to look the other woman in the face. "It was terrible, and traumatic, but maybe there was a reason she didn't survive. Her father was…evil…" she continued as Maura did her best to keep her own emotions at bay.

"I…I'm sorry," Maura eventually spit out, needing to fill the silence that had fell between them. "I didn't mean to pry."

"I never talk about this," Hope shook her head. "I spent so many years trying to forget…maybe it's because you're a doctor; I feel a strange kinship with you," she explained, meeting Maura's eyes, making the younger blonde wonder how the woman could not see what was standing right in front of her; what was so plainly obvious to Maura.

"Me too," Maura then said, a small smile on her face, feeling a connection with Hope that she wasn't sure she had ever felt with anyone besides her own daughter. "You uh…you said you have a daughter now?" She felt the need to ask, breaking the rather intense eye contact they had been sharing.

"Cailin is 18," Hope nodded. "It's a complicated age for Mothers," she sighed. "Enjoy your daughter while she's young Dr. Isles. Savour every moment."

"I do," Maura smiled, focusing her attention on what Hope was doing. "Amelia is my whole world. I wish I could just keep her young forever. In fact Jane and I were just talking about that the other day."

"And you and Jane?" Hope pried, not missing the look on Maura's face that clearly indicated there was more than just coworkers there. "You two are…"

"Engaged actually," Maura saw no reason not to answer, wanting to share more about herself with this woman. "It's a rather new engagement but we've been together for quite some time," she explained. "Jane completed our family in a way I never knew that Amelia and I needed. Those two are the best of friends."

"That's nice to hear," Hope smiled. "Family is a wonderful thing," she said, sounding rather nostalgic. "We need them more than we think we do. And it's incredibly special when one finds their other half."

"I couldn't agree more," Maura replied, a smile on her face as she let her eyes fall to the work still in front of them. "Do you think we'll be able to get a fingerprint?" She asked, figuring it was about time they get back to work.

"I'm hopeful," Hope nodded. "But I could use your help."

"Anything," Maura grinned. "Just tell me what to do."

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When Jane finally decided to make her way down to the morgue later that day she really didn't know what to expect. The Detective knew that she was taking a risk abandoning Maura with Hope but she had felt it was necessary in order to force the blonde to actually speak to her birth Mother.

Knowing how anxious Maura could get, Jane had expected her fiancé to be quiet and most likely withdrawn when she got to the BPD basement; surprised when she instead found a sight, which brought a smile to her face. Hunched together over their work, Maura and Hope were talking excitedly, obviously into what they were doing.

"Please tell me you're seeing whirls and ridges?" Jane interrupted the Mother/Daughter moment, pulling on a pair of gloves.

"There is excellent ridge detail," Hope was the one to reply, handing the finger to Jane to see if it would scan.

Excited, all three women turned their attention to the computer screen as Jane scanned the finger, a print eventually popping up. "That's a good print," Jane grinned. "Good job Doctors!"

Thrilled, Hope immediately wrapped her arms around Maura in a hug, the Medical Examiner freezing up in shock. Filled with emotions she was no longer able to suppress, Maura released a sob as tears filled up her eyes.

Startled by her fiance's sudden breakdown, Jane wracked her brain for something to say; for some way to get the blonde out of the situation that she had put her in.

"She gets very emotional when we break a case wide open," Jane blurted out, unable to come up with anything else as Hope pulled away from Maura with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes I do," Maura continued to sob, accepting the Kleenex that Hope handed her, the older woman looking unsure of what to do with herself all of a sudden.

"Oh..well…I'm sorry but I really must go," Hope began to take off her lab coat. "I have to go pick up my daughter," she explained, eliciting more sobs from Maura, who was unable to control herself.

"Thank you so much Dr. Martin," Jane spoke so Maura wouldn't have to, wringing her hands together as she resisted the urge to take the other woman into her arms.

"You are very welcome," Hope smiled, once again glancing at Maura. "Dr. Isles, I would very much like to have lunch some time."

"Of course," Maura nodded, dabbing at her eyes. "You have my information."

"Let's make this sooner rather than later," Hope replied. "I really enjoyed myself," she said before excusing herself, exiting the lab and leaving Jane and Maura on their own.

"Maura," Jane was practically squealing with joy. "That was so beautiful! When are you gonna tell her?"

"Never," Maura sobbed louder, Jane gasping as the blonde fell into her open arms. "Never…never. I can't ever tell her."

"Maura…" Jane didn't understand. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't' you tell her? It seemed like you two really hit it off!"

"I..she…I c-can't," Maura's tears were now soaking Jane's blazer as the brunette ran her hand up and down her fiancée's back, trying to offer some form of comfort. "She said…s-she was…she said it was for the best…that the baby…that _I_ didn't survive," she explained between sobs, pulling back to look at the Detective. "B-because my father was… _is_ evil."

"Maura," Jane sighed, shaking her head. "She only said that because she doesn't know…she's…it's probably what she's told herself in order to cope through the years. If she knew who you were…"

"She can't," Maura interrupted firmly, taking a step back and out of the comfort of Jane's arms. "She can't know," she repeated, sounding final. "I want to go home."

"Maura…" Jane tried to argue.

"I want to go home Jane," Maura refused to listen. "I want to go home to our daughter. Please?"

Seeing the pleading look in Maura's eyes, Jane knew that the blonde was hurting, that she needed something to ground her. "Okay Maura," Jane nodded, once again closing the distance between them as she placed a kiss on the shorter woman's forehead. "Let's go home."

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"Mommy you're hugging too tight," Amelia's small voice cried out from beneath her Mother's arms, tucked into bed for the night. "Mama help!"

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Maura's cheeks reddened as she released the little blonde, Jane's hand on her shoulder, the brunette chuckling lightly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just love you so much."

Since it was relatively early when they left work, Maura and Jane had been able to pick Amelia up from school, much to the six year old's delight. Still needing to help with the case, the trio had returned home, Jane retreating to the office to call Korsak while Maura sat down with Amelia, watching as the little blonde completed her schoolwork before suggesting they sit down together and read for a while. The two blondes were so enamored by each other that they barely noticed when Jane joined them, the small family enjoying some time together before having dinner.

"I love you too Mommy!" Amelia grinned, already forgiving her Mother for the tight hug. "I'm glad you came home early today! I had lots of fun."

"Me too Sweet girl," Maura smiled, leaning forward to give her daughter a kiss. "It was a wonderful afternoon."

"Can you come home early every day?" Amelia asked innocently.

"Oh that would be awesome Bug," Jane took a seat on the bed next to Maura, tickling Amelia's legs. "But Mommy and I can't always come home early like that. We have to be at work sometimes. But that's what makes days like today special. Right?"

"I guess so," Amelia nodded, leaning back as she let out a big yawn.

"Looks like someone's tired out," Maura gave the six year old one more kiss. "Time for sleep. Sweet dreams little girl."

"Night Mommy," Amelia smiled sleepily as Maura moved out of the way. "Night Mama."

"Night little Bug," Jane leaned forward for a kiss. "I love you."

"Love you," Amelia nodded, her eyes already closed as her breathing began to even out.

"Out like a light," Jane chuckled, taking Maura's hand as they turned out the lights and closed Amelia's bedroom door halfway. "You know she looks so much like you when she's sleepy like that," she said as she allowed Maura to lead her down the hall. "I mean she always looks like you, but when she's tired…I don't know what it is," she tried to explain. "You guys get the same look on your face when you're tired."

"Yes she does seem to take after me quite a bit doesn't she?" Maura smiled, still holding Jane's hand as they both sat on the edge of their bed. "Sometimes it's quite strange; looking at her and seeing parts of myself staring back at me. It's not just my looks but my mannerisms and habits too."

"I think it's pretty awesome," Jane nodded, laughing as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's shoulders, knowing that she still needed the comfort; that she was still feeling the effects of the day. "You know I couldn't help noticing the similarities between you and Hope. I mean you guys look a lot alike," she continued, choosing her words carefully. "And when you guys were working together…it seems like you two have a lot in common."

"Yes well there's a lot to be said for genetics," Maura sighed, letting her head fall to Jane's shoulders. "You know Amelia has picked up a lot from you," she changed the subject, clearly indicating that she still wasn't ready to talk about Hope. "The other day she said something that was just so…I don't even remember what it was now but she sounded exactly like you…all I could think is wow sometimes she's just like her Mama."

"Well let me apologize in advance for that," Jane joked, Maura lifting her head with a frown. "What?"

"You shouldn't apologize for that," Maura shook her head. "Amelia will be lucky to be like you. "You've taught her so much that she should be grateful for," she said, returning her head to the brunette's shoulder. "I'm glad she's like you too."

"Thanks Maur," Jane smiled, placing a kiss in blonde locks. "And you know…" she began, rubbing her fiancée's back. "I know that I don't really understand what you're going through with Hope…I know that it's complicated and it's probably really hard, but I think that you should tell her. I think that she deserves to know the truth, and I think that it will be good for you," she continued, Maura remaining silent, though Jane could tell she was listening. " _But_ I will support whatever you decide to do okay? I'm here for you no matter what. I'm here whenever you're ready to talk…I'm…I'm here for you. _Always_."


	6. Brave

**Well friends, another update for you! I still haven't quite decided how I want the whole Hope/Maura thing to go, but I know a lot of you do not like the way the show went with that storyline and I totally respect that, so I would like to go a different way, but I haven't quite decided how I am going to do that. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter for now though!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! -J**

 **Chapter 6- Brave**

"Amelia honey, can you come down here please?" Maura called up the stairs that weekend, the case solved, earning the entire team a free weekend. "Mama and I want to talk to you," she added, moving into the family room and taking a seat next to Jane, grateful when the brunette reached out for her hand, needing the comfort. "Gosh, I'm nervous."

"I know Maur, but it'll be okay," Jane leaned over to place a kiss against Maura's temple. "We're giving her a great opportunity remember? It's the best thing for her."

"I know," Maura sighed, anxiously smoothing out her skirt. "I just hate what we have to take her away from to do it."

With the case ending, Maura and Jane knew it was time to talk to Amelia, wanting the little girl to know about their decision to have her skip a grade so that her teacher could get started on the new transition. And even though Maura knew their decision was for the best, she couldn't help feeling nervous, knowing how she would feel if she was Amelia's age and being taken away from her best friends.

"I'm here," Amelia called as she ran into the room, Maura quickly putting a smile on her face as the little blonde jumped onto the couch next to her. "What is it Mommy? I was building with my legos."

"You can return to that in a little bit," Maura smiled. "We have something important to talk to you about."

"Okay Mommy," Amelia nodded, looking from one Mother to the other as she waited for someone to start talking.

"Well Bug, you remember Mommy and I went to have a meeting with your teacher earlier this week?" Jane finally asked realizing Maura wasn't going to say anything.

"Uh huh," Amelia once again nodded, a look of curiosity on her face.

"You know Mrs. Kensington told us you're doing really well in class," Jane continued on, doing her best to handle the situation until Maura was ready to step in. "You're doing so well in fact that she's having a difficult time finding work for you to do to keep you busy…she's worried that you may be starting to get bored."

"I'm not bored Mama," Amelia shook her head. "I love school. I love to learn!"

"Of course you do," Jane laughed. "You are your Mother's daughter after all," she said, turning to Maura who was finally able to smile, though Jane could still see the nervousness in her eyes.

"We know you love to learn Honey," Maura finally chimed in. "And we're so happy to hear that. It's great that you love school," she continued. "Mrs. Kensington is a little worried that perhaps you're learning faster than the rest of your class though," she said, watching, as Amelia frowned, obviously not understanding. "It's not a bad thing," she was quick to add. "It's actually great that you're catching on to things so quickly. It's just that Mrs. Kensington is giving you extra work from the first grade…work that you shouldn't be doing until next year. Do you understand so far?"

"I think so," Amelia replied, though her face was still scrunched up, indicating that she was still confused.

"Your teacher…and your Mom and I are so proud of you Bug," Jane tried to put it easier, keeping her voice enthusiastic. "You are so smart and you learn things so quickly because you love learning and that's fantastic."

"But it also means that we need to make some changes at school, so that you always have new things to learn," Maura added, watching as Amelia tilted her head to the side, biting her lip.

"Changes?" The six year old eventually questioned.

"Do you remember how after kindergarten we told you that you would be going into the first grade?" Maura asked, waiting for Amelia to nod that she understood. "Well Mrs. Kensington, Mama and I think that it might be better if you skipped the first grade and went right into second grade so that you have lots of new things to learn and you won't be ahead of your classmates anymore," she revealed, pausing as she waited for some sort of reaction, knowing this was going to be difficult for the young girl to understand right away.

"Is everybody gonna skip first grade?" Amelia eventually asked, looking up from Jane to Maura, her eyes wide and curious.

"No honey," Maura shook her head, getting to the part that she knew was going to be difficult, grateful as Jane squeezed her hand as if reassuring her that she was still there. "The rest of your class would go into first grade and you would go into second grade. You would be with another class. The class that's in first grade now."

"Alyssa and Hannah and Emery won't come?" Amelia then asked, her eyes beginning to water, her voice laced with sadness.

"No Baby, they will go into first grade," Maura sighed, reaching out for the little girl's hands, hating how heartbroken she looked. "I know that it's scary honey but it's a really great opportunity for you and you're going to get to learn so much more in the second grade. You're going to have so much fun," she tried to sound excited for Amelia's sake. "And you'll still get to spend the rest of this year in your class with all your friends."

"But I don't know the other class," Amelia shook her head, crying now. "I wanna stay with my friends."

"Hey Mia," Jane shuffled closer, bending around Maura so she could be closer to the younger blonde. "Remember when you started school and you were having a hard time making friends? Remember how nervous and scared you were?" She said, hating the tears that were running down her daughter's face. "I know it was hard at first but then you made friends right? You met Alyssa and Hannah and Emery and you even started getting along with the rest of your class right? You're still going to see your friends at school. You'll still get to play with them every day at recess," she tried to sound reassuring. "But now you're going to get to make a whole new class of friends too!"

"And your teacher is going to let you meet the kids in the other class this year," Maura added, running her hand over the little blonde's hair. "You'll get to spend a few lessons a week with the other class that way you'll know everyone next year," she explained, Amelia's tears continuing. "Oh Honey…baby please don't cry," she could feel herself losing control of her own emotions as she pulled Amelia into her lap. "Please don't be sad Darling. This is going to be such a good thing. And we're so proud of you for this."

"You can totally do this Bug," Jane kissed Maura's head as she ran her hand up and down Amelia's back, wanting to offer both girls the comfort they so obviously needed. "I know it's scary, but you're so brave little girl. You're going to be fine. You're going to love it."

"What if I don't?" Amelia removed her face from where it was buried in Maura's shirt and looked up at Jane, her face streaked with tears.

"If you don't love it then we'll pull you out Kiddo. We promise," Jane assured her, knowing Maura agreed with her on that point. "We promise if you hate it in the second grade then you can go back to first grade okay? But you've got to give it a chance alright? Can you do that? Can you be brave?"

"Okay," Amelia nodded still teary eyed, leaning her head back down against Maura's chest, Maura immediately placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Okay."

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"Well she's finally asleep," Maura sighed, plopping down on the couch next to Jane later that night, grateful when the brunette immediately handed her a glass of wine. "This has quite possibly been the longest day of my life."

"Mm hm," Jane nodded, tipping her head back as she gulped down almost half her beer.

Though Amelia had agreed to give going into second grade a chance, the six year old was morose the rest of the day, ruining Maura and Jane's hopes for a fun day at home with their daughter. Amelia was sad and clingy for the rest of the day and had little desire to do any of the activities her mothers suggested.

"Do you think she's going to be okay? I mean do you still think this is the right choice?" Maura couldn't help asking, feeling nervous that they had made the wrong decision since they told Amelia.

"I think that Mia took it a lot harder than I thought she was going to," Jane admitted, draping her arm on the back of the sofa as she began to play with Maura's hair. "But I still think it's the best thing for her. She's sad because all she sees is what she's going to be missing but she's going to gain so much more from this Maur," she continued, surprising Maura with just how wise she was being about the whole thing. "It's gonna be hard for her to understand because she's' young, but I really think the whole thing is going to pay off in the end. She's gonna get through it."

"You think so huh?" Maura couldn't help but smirk as she turned to the brunette, who simply shrugged. Leaning forward Maura placed a kiss on Jane's lips, the brunette smiling when she eventually pulled away. "Thank you," Maura said. "For today; for being here for all this. For…for everything really."

"It was my pleasure," Jane laughed, leaning in for another kiss. "And don't worry too much alright? It's gonna turn out okay. I just know it."

Still smiling, Maura brushed Jane's curls away from her face rubbing her thumb against the brunette's cheek as she continued to stare into deep, brown eyes. "You know I've been thinking about what you said to Amelia a lot," she eventually broke the trance they had falling into. "About being brave."

"Oh yeah?" Jane raised an eyebrow, waiting for the blonde to continue.

"Mm hmm," Maura hummed, nodding as Jane's fingers returned to her hair, closing her eyes for a moment. "If Amelia can be brave…if she can skip a grade and make new friends again like we asked her then…then I can be brave too."

"Are we perhaps referring to Hope?" Jane asked carefully, hoping she was following Maura correctly.

"I am," Maura nodded. "I can't…I have no intention of telling her right away; it's a lot more complicated than that. But I would like to at least open up to the possibility of telling her," she continued. "I would like to tell her…in time."

"I think that sounds pretty fair," Jane continued to play with Maura's hair. "And have you thought about how you'd like to go about all this?"

"Well to start I'd like to invite her over for dinner," Maura replied, her sigh indicating that the thought obviously stressed her out. "I thought maybe I could invite her daughter too. And I'd like…well obviously I'd like you and Amelia there with me and perhaps Angela would want to join us as well. I just…I'm not sure where else to start."

"You know what," Jane smiled, placing her hands over top of the blonde's. "I think that sounds like the perfect place to start."

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"Her birth Mother? Really?" Angela's response was surprised as she sat down across from Jane the next night.

"Shh Ma, will you keep your voice down," Jane was quick to scold the older Rizzoli, glancing towards the staircase knowing Maura was trying to get Amelia ready for bed. "Mia doesn't know and we'd really like to keep it that way alright?"

"Sorry, sorry," Angela huffed. "I'm just surprised is all. She really invited her over to dinner? I thought you said she didn't want to tell her Mother who she was."

"She didn't," Jane sighed. "But she's had a change of heart I guess. She called Hope this afternoon and asked if she and her daughter would join us for dinner," she explained. "They're coming tomorrow and even though she hasn't actually admitted it yet Maura's really nervous. She wanted me to ask you if you'd join us for dinner though."

"Of course I'll join you Janie," Angela was quick to agree. "But is Maura sure that's what she wants? I mean won't having more people make her more nervous?"

"She wants both of us there with her," Jane shook her head. "I think it'll help keep her at least a little calm. But you gotta make sure you're careful about what you say Ma. Hope and her daughter have no idea who Maura is and she's not ready to tell them yet. So just be careful okay? Can you do that?"

"Of course Janie, of course," Angela replied. "And you tell Maura not to even worry about dinner. I'll take care of everything; you two just show up."

"Thanks Ma," Jane smiled, standing up before making her way around the table to hug her Mother. "This is…this is a really big deal for Maura. I just want everything to go well for her. I just really want this to work out," she confessed, not having to look her Mother in the eyes as they remained in their embrace.

"I know Janie. And it will," Angela assured her, placing a kiss against her daughter's head. "It'll be okay."

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"How are you feeling? You doing okay?" Jane asked Maura late the next afternoon, the couple up in their room getting ready for dinner.

"Jane, you've already asked me that…several times actually," Maura sighed, stepping in front of the brunette so she would zip up her dress for her.

"I know I have," Jane shrugged, pulling the zipper up the blonde's back. "I just wanna make sure you're still good."

"I'm as good as I'm going to be," Maura replied, turning around to face the brunette, grateful when Jane immediately pulled her in to her arms. "I'm just nervous…This is…I never thought…"

"I know," Jane nodded, kissing the shorter woman's temple. "It's just dinner though. It doesn't have to be anything else. You don't have to tell her anything today," she reminded her. "And I'm going to be there with you the whole time."

"Promise?" Maura leaned back to look into brown eyes.

"I promise," Jane replied, sealing the promise with a kiss just as Amelia made her way into the room.

"Mommy, Mama look!" The six year old called, skipping into the room excitedly, her sullen mood from two days ago forgotten. "Angela helped me pick out a dress! Do I look pretty?"

"Oh wow do you ever," Maura grinned, immediately scooping Amelia up into her arms, lifting her onto her hip. "You look very pretty darling," she smiled as Amelia gave her a kiss.

"So do you Mommy," Amelia smiled. "Are your friends going to be here soon?"

"They should be here pretty soon yes," Maura nodded, checking her watch. "Are you getting hungry?"

"It smells very yummy downstairs," Amelia replied seriously.

"That would be Angela Rizzoli's famous chicken parm," Jane grinned, leaning forward to place a kiss on the side of Amelia's head. "My stomach is grumbling just thinking about it. You ready to head down?"

Nodding, Maura followed Jane downstairs, carrying Amelia until they got to the main level, placing the six year old back on the ground just as the doorbell rang, making the older blonde gasp.

"They're here already?" Maura's voice was instantly worried.

"Right on time," Jane replied, reaching out for her fiancée's hand, knowing she needed the comfort. "Deep breath," she whispered, not wanting Amelia to know that Maura was worried.

Taking Jane's advice, Maura took a deep breath, moving to answer the door just as she noticed the picture of Hope that was still hanging beside it. "Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed pulling the drawing off the wall and clutching it to her chest. "Oh my gosh I almost forgot! What if she had seen?"

"It's alright," Jane placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "I'll take care of that," she said, removing the photo from Maura's grip. "Just answer the door alright? I'll be right back," she said before disappearing down the hallway.

Once again taking a deep breath, Maura reached for the doorknob, opening the door to reveal Hope and a young girl with darker hair, Maura immediately noting the similarities between her and herself. "Hope, I'm so glad you could come," she smiled, ready to play hostess. "And you must be Cailin. Please. Come in."

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"Cailin will you play with me?" Amelia asked Hope's daughter as soon as dinner was finished. "Please?"

"Amelia let Cailin sit. We only just finished," Maura tried to reason with her daughter, not wanting the teenager to feel like she had to play with the little girl, having enjoyed the last hour at the table with the group gathered.

"Oh it's alright Maura," Cailin replied, standing from the table. "It's fine. Come on Amelia. I'll play with you."

Watching as Amelia led Cailin towards the family room, Jane couldn't help but grin, knowing how difficult it could be to say no to the little blonde. "Cailin seems great," she said, turning towards Hope. "She and Mia seem to be hitting it off."

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone not hit it off with Amelia," Angela laughed. "The kid is too cute of her own good. I don't know how anyone could say no to her."

"She is quite the little charmer," Hope chuckled, taking a sip of her wine. "Cailin was quite similar when she was that age. Always looking for someone to play with and never taking no for an answer," she continued, a faraway look on her face. "Nowadays I'm lucky to see her longer than an hour a day. Socializing with her Mother doesn't seem to be her favourite thing in the world."

"Ah they all go through that stage," Angela was quick to assure her. "Janie didn't want anything to do with me when she was a teenager, but she came back to me eventually," she told her. "They always come back."

"Well I hope you're right," Hope sighed, her frown eventually turning into a smile. "Maura, Jane your home is beautiful by the way. I'm so glad you invited me."

"Oh thank you," Maura smiled, doing her best not to let her nerves get the best of her. "We're so glad you could join us tonight. We were so grateful for your help with our last case. We just wanted to be able to properly thank you."

"Well that really wasn't necessary," Hope replied. "I was glad that I could be of assistance, and it was wonderful getting to work with you Maura," she smiled. "I hope that we will be able to do so again sometime. You know we're always looking for volunteers at my clinics if you ever feel like working on some live patients."

"Oh well that sounds…maybe…I'd have to think about that," Maura laughed at her own inability to form a sentence. "I don't think I've worked on a live patient since medical school. I'm not sure I would do very well."

"Don't be ridiculous, you would be great," Jane chimed in, reaching out for the blonde's hand. "You're a hell of a doctor."

"Thank you Jane," Maura laughed. "But I think you have to say that," she grinned, leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Please at least think about it," Hope asked as Maura turned her attention back towards her. "You're welcome anytime. Really."

"I'll definitely think about it," Maura nodded, a smile on her face. "Thank you."


	7. Dreams

**Hello friends!**

 **So I had a bit of trouble getting started with this chapter but I hope you'll enjoy it!**

 **Thanks so much for your patience!**

 **Enjoy! -J**

 **Chapter 7- Dreams**

"Okay what are your wedding dreams?" Maura sat across from Jane at the dining room table the next night after putting Amelia to bed, her laptop open, obviously ready to take notes.

"Excuse me?" Jane practically choked on her beer, having sat down at the table with no idea what the blonde wanted to talk about. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when you think about your wedding what do you imagine?" Maura asked incredulously, surprised by her fiancées lack of understanding. "What is your dream wedding?"

"Oh uh…well…" Jane racked her brain for something to say, picking at the label on her beer bottle. "Um I guess…honestly Maur? I don't really have any," she shrugged, like it was no big deal, looking up to find Maura staring at her with a shocked look on her face.

"What do you mean you don't have any?" Maura scoffed. "Of course you do! Everyone dreams of their wedding! I mean didn't you ever dream up your wedding when you were a little girl?"

"Maura," Jane whined, pushing her hair out of her face. "I don't know…I never…I didn't…I'm not…I guess there was one thing," she finally admitted with a sigh, giving in to the expectant look Maura was giving her.

"What was it?" Maura was suddenly excited her hands on the keyboard, ready to type, her look of disappointment suddenly turning to one of pure joy. "Tell me! Please!"

"Well when I was a kid I always had this crazy idea that I would get married at Fenway," Jane shrugged, Maura's jaw falling open before she quickly shut it again, glad that Jane wasn't looking. "I thought I would recite my vows over home plate and have the reception on the pitcher's mound and well I'd wear a Red Sox jersey instead of a white dress," she admitted, finally looking up to find Maura once again staring at her in disbelief. "What? I told you it was just a crazy idea okay? I was just a kid I shouldn't have brought it up; it's stupid. I'm sorry."

"No, Jane no," Maura quickly shook her head, reaching out to grab the brunette's hand. "No _I'm_ sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like it's stupid," she told her. "I was just surprised is all. I just didn't expect our wedding fantasies to be so drastically different," she said, doing her best to put a smile on her face despite the slight panic she was feeling.

"Oh…well what's your wedding fantasy then?" Jane asked nervously, suddenly regretting sharing her childish dreams.

"Well to begin with my gown would be silk charmeuse with an empire waist and a twenty foot train," Maura replied a dreamy smile on her face. "And I always imagined the ceremony on the cliffs of Santorini right above a volcano," she shared looking up at Jane to find the brunette staring at her as if _she_ were crazy. "Well I told you it was different."

"Well you weren't kidding," Jane rolled her eyes, taking a long drink of her beer. "I mean really Maura? The cliffs of Santorini? Above a volcano?" She repeated in disbelief. "That's just…I mean it's…"

"It's just a fantasy Jane," Maura shook her head, trying not to look too disappointed. "It's just a dream, and I know a fairly unrealistic one at that, I just thought if we shared our dreams it would give us a place to start planning," she explained, looking suddenly sullen. "I'm afraid this has only made things worse though. I mean our dreams are severely different. How are we supposed to plan a wedding together when we have two completely different ideas about what our weddings should be like. How will we ever agree on anything?"

"Maura," Jane tilted her head, resisting the urge to laugh as she squeezed the blonde's hand. "Look don't panic alright? It was just a childish dream…the dream of a kid who had an extreme love of baseball and nothing else," she said, happy to see the blonde crack a smile. "And while I haven't really given my wedding much thought since I was a kid, I do have one dream that I think you will like."

"Oh yeah?" Maura raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"Well in my dreams now," Jane smirked, standing up and making her way around the table, kneeling down in front of her fiancée. "Whenever I think about getting married, and what I need to make it absolutely perfect, the only thing that comes to mind is you," she said, smiling as Maura's eyes instantly shone with happy tears. "You're my dream Maura. You're all I need."

"You're my dream too Jane," Maura grinned, leaning down to give the brunette a kiss, wrapping her arms around Jane's neck before pulling back.

"You're still going to make me spend the next two hours wedding planning with you aren't you?" Jane then asked, knowing that Maura was beginning to stress about the need to plan their upcoming nuptials.

"Most definitely," Maura laughed, placing a kiss on Jane's nose before pulling out the chair beside her. "Now come on, sit here and look at this websites with me. There's got to be some ideas that we both like."

"Okay Maur," Jane chuckled, placing her arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Whatever you want."

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After spending nearly 3 hours looking at ideas for their wedding, Jane had whined until Maura had agreed to call it a night even though she felt like they had so much more to do. With the wedding plans still on her mind, Maura had a difficult time relaxing, feeling as if she had only just fallen asleep when she was woken up by both her and Jane's cell phones ringing.

Slightly groggy, the couple dragged themselves out of bed, saying their goodbyes to Amelia and Angela before Jane drove them to the crime scene.

"Hey Doc, mind if I join you for the autopsy?" Frost asked later that day as he entered the morgue, finding Maura just getting ready to cut open their victim who appeared to have been hit over the head with an object that had yet to be determined.

"Of course Barry, you're always welcome," Maura smiled, pulling on her gloves. "Though I'm a little surprised. You don't usually join me for these. Where's Jane?"

"She's working on a lead with Korsak," Frost replied, keeping his distance from the body. "They told me I could wait for your findings but I figured I'd come down anyways," he shrugged. "Gotta keep working on it right?"

"You've gotten much better already Barry," Maura laughed, beginning her Y-incision. "I mean it's been weeks since the last time I've seen you get sick at a crime scene."

"Yeah well hopefully we can keep it that way," Frost grinned, watching Maura work for a few minutes, allowing her to make some observations into her recorder. "So Jane told me you guys started the wedding planning. Any date set yet?"

"We haven't fully agreed on one yet, but we have a few in mind," Maura nodded. "We have a lot to think about to be honest and Jane isn't the easiest person to talk about these things with as I'm sure you can imagine," she explained. "She says that all she needs to make our wedding perfect is me, but I'm a little worried that she's not interested in the actual event at all."

"Aw come on Doc, I know that's not true," Frost was quick to assure the blonde. "Jane's excited. She just has an odd way of showing it. I mean she may act like she's hating it but trust me, she's loving every minute of it."

"How can you be so sure?" Maura raised an eyebrow, unsure if she could believe her friend.

"Because I know Jane," Frost shrugged. "And because I saw her face when she told everyone that you two were getting married. I've never seen her so happy in all the time I've known her. She loves you Maura and she loves Mia. Your wedding is extremely important to her. Don't doubt that okay?"

"Okay," Maura simply nodded, touched by Frost's words, looking up to see the Detective with a smile on his face. "Thank you Barry. I…I guess I kind of needed to hear that," she admitted with a blush. "You won't tell Jane I was worried will you?"

"Your secret's safe with me," Frost winked just as the morgue phone began to ring. "Want me to get that?" He asked.

"Please," Maura nodded, continuing with her autopsy as Frost answered the phone.

"Doc you've got a visitor upstairs," Frost held his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "A Cailin Martin? Do you want them to send her down?"

"Cailin?" Maura was surprised, her stomach dropping, unsure why Hope's teenage daughter would be visiting her. "Um uh..no," she stuttered nervously. "No have her wait for me in the café. Tell them I'll be up soon."

"Don't you have to finish that?" Frost asked, gesturing towards the body.

"Susie will fill in for me for a few minutes," Maura replied, already pulling off her gloves, hoping Frost wouldn't notice her hands shaking. "I won't be long. Will you wait for me?" She asked the Detective.

"Sure Doc," Frost nodded, watching as Maura rushed into her office, wanting to put something else on rather than going up to the café in her scrubs.

It was a few more minutes before Maura arrived upstairs, immediately spotting Cailin sitting in the café waiting for her. Putting on a smile, the Medical Examiner did her best to cast her nerves aside, waving when the teen finally spotted her.

"Cailin," Maura greeted with the biggest smile she could muster up. "This is a surprise. Is something wrong?"

"I know your secret," Cailin stood up, skipping all pleasantries as she handed Maura a printout of a news story about Maura and Paddy Doyle, the blonde's smile instantly falling. "I know who you are. Sis."

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When Maura sent Jane a text asking her to come as fast as she could the Detective didn't even hesitate, just barely resisting the urge to use her siren as she sped through the city towards the precinct. Not wanting to waste any time waiting for the elevator, the brunette took the stairs, running as fast as she could until she reached her fiancée's office, finding the blonde sitting on the couch with her head in her hands.

"Maur?" Jane practically shouted, skidding to a halt and bending down so she was face to face with the obviously upset Doctor. "Maura? What's wrong? What happened?"

"She knows. Cailin knows," Maura looked up with wide worried eyes. "She knows who I am," she said handing Jane the article Cailin had brought her. "She gave me that."

Momentarily shocked, Jane wasn't sure what to say, staring at the article Maura handed her while trying to digest exactly what her fiancée was telling her, eventually looking up to find Maura still watching her with a look of horror on her face.

"What did she say?" Jane finally asked. "Does Hope know?"

"She said she found that picture that you hid in the bathroom," Maura began with a sigh, tears finally springing to her eyes. "So she googled me and she found that and she knows the truth even though it doesn't mention Hope by name in there," she explained. "She told me that…that growing up in my shadow…the shadow of a dead baby was awful and…Hope doesn't know," she choked out as Jane grabbed her hands, moving to sit up on the couch next to her. "Hope doesn't know yet but God what if…what if she tells her? This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. This wasn't…"

"I know Maur, I know," Jane pulled the blonde towards her, stroking her hair as she placed a kiss against her temple. "It'll be okay. Maybe…maybe Cailin won't say anything. I mean you don't…technically we don't know anything about her. Who's to say she's going to say anything? Maybe she won't say anything."

"I'm not sure I can risk relying on her not telling," Maura shook her head, removing her head from the brunette's shoulder. "If I wait and allow Hope to find out from Cailin think about how it's going to look."

"So what are you saying Maur?" Jane was surprised, knowing Maura wasn't ready to tell Hope the truth yet. "Are you saying you want to tell Hope the truth? You want to tell her who you are?"

"I'm saying I don't think I have a choice."

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"I'm meeting Hope tomorrow for lunch," Maura told Jane as soon as they got in the car at the end of the day, the couple exhausted after a long day at work, both ready to get home and turn off the case for the night. "She agreed to meet me so I suspect Cailin hasn't told her anything yet, hopefully she doesn't tell her before then."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jane asked as she pulled them out onto the road, navigating towards home. "Frost and I have a few leads to check out in the morning, but I'm sure I could get away for an hour. I'm there if you need me."

"I always need you Jane," Maura turned towards the brunette with a smile, reaching out to run her fingers through unruly curls. "But as much as I appreciate you wanting to be there for me, I think I should do this on my own. It's not going to be easy, obviously it's going to be difficult but I'll be okay," she assured her. "Keep your phone at the ready just in case?"

"You got it," Jane grinned, proud of how Maura was handling the situation now that she had gotten over the surprise of the whole thing, but not missing the blonde's obvious worry. "I gotta admit I'm glad to take a break on this case," she then sighed, deciding changing the subject for the time being. "Right now all I wanna do is curl up with Mia and forget about murder for a while."

"Mm me too," Maura smiled, appreciating the fact that Jane wasn't going to make her keep hashing out everything about Hope and Cailin. "That actually sounds absolutely perfect right about now."

So it was with Amelia in mind that Jane drove them home, one hand in Maura's as the other navigated the car through the city, getting them home in less than 30 minutes. With smiles on their faces, the couple walked through the front door hand in hand, Jane only releasing the blonde in order to place her badge and gun in the safe in the front closet.

"Mommy! Mama!" Amelia called after hearing the door open, running towards her Mothers excitedly. "You're home! Finally!" She exclaimed, launching herself into Maura's waiting arms, giggling as she was lifted onto the older blonde's hip. "You guys took forever."

"We are very sorry darling," Maura couldn't help but laugh, placing kisses on her daughter's face as little arms wrapped around her neck. "We were busy with work but we'll do our best to get home earlier next time," she said, kissing the six year old once more before handing her over to Jane who was waiting with her arms open.

"Amelia had a pretty exciting day at school today," Angela announced as she made her way around the corner, the smells in the kitchen indicating she had been keeping dinner warm for them. "Tell your Mothers sweetheart. They'll be so happy to hear."

"You had a big day at school today Bug?" Jane asked, following Maura and Angela into the kitchen and placing Amelia down on one of the stools.

"I met my new class today," Amelia nodded with a big smile on her face, surprising both Jane and Maura. "I read with one of the other girls and I could read just as good as her Mommy," she told them, looking rather proud of herself as she looked from one mother to the other. "Her name is Grace and I think we're gonna be friends Mama!"

"Oh honey that's wonderful," Maura forgot all her problems from earlier, delighted by the look of happiness on her daughter's face. "That is absolutely wonderful! I am so happy!"

"See Bug we told you it was going to be great!" Jane was thrilled, kissing the top of the little blonde's head. "We're so happy to hear that Babe. So are you a little bit more excited about next year then?"

"I think so," Amelia nodded with a serious look on her face that made her look exactly like Maura. "I like Gracie and I like having new things to learn. I will miss my friends but I will see them."

"Of course you will," Maura reassured her, smiling as Angela pulled out plates for her and Jane.

"And didn't you have something you wanted to ask your Ma too Mia?" Angela prompted, gesturing for Jane and Maura to both sit as she served them dinner.

"Next week is my turn for show and tell," Amelia turned towards Jane. "I'm allowed to bring anything I want. Will you come?"

"You want me to come see your show and tell?" Jane asked, not quite understanding.

"I want to bring you for show and tell," Amelia shook her head. "You're my best friend and I want to tell everyone about all the cool things we do together. My teacher said I could. Will you come Mama? Please?"

"I…" Jane was both surprised and touched, smiling at the excited look on the little girl's face. "I would love to," she replied, meeting Maura's watery eyes over Amelia's head as the six year old threw her arms around her middle.

"Thanks Mama!" Amelia was practically bouncing with excitement, spending a few more minutes telling her mothers about her day before Angela noticed the time.

"Mia honey, why don't we go upstairs and have your bath while your Mothers finish their dinner," the older Rizzoli suggested, noticing neither woman had really touched their meals, too engrossed in their daughter. "They can come up and spend some time with you when they're done. How does that sound?"

"Okay," Amelia was quick to agree, jumping off the stool before following Angela towards the stairs.

"Thank you Angela," Maura called, her soon to be Mother-in-law simply waving a hand in acknowledgement before leading Amelia up the stairs. "She's so happy today," she turned towards Jane, finally picking up her fork. "I definitely needed to hear all that today."

"Me too," Jane agreed, absentmindedly moving her food around with the fork in her hand, a wistful look on her face.

"Jane? Honey are you okay?" Maura reached out, placing her hand over Jane's. "What's wrong?

"Y-you know how yesterday we were talking about our dreams?" Jane asked, her voice slightly shaky, blinking as she focused on Maura. "There's on more thing I want…one more thing that will make our wedding perfect."

"Okay," Maura wasn't sure if she should be nervous, waiting for the brunette to tell her. "What is it?"

"I want to adopt Amelia."


	8. Starting Over and Starting Fresh

**Chapter 8- Starting Over and Starting Fresh**

 _"I want to adopt Amelia."_

 _"You…you want to…" Maura kept opening and closing her mouth seeming as if she was in a state of shock. "You…what?"_

 _"I want to adopt Amelia," Jane repeated, her voice steadier this time even though Maura's surprise was making her nervous, wanting to make sure the blonde knew she was serious about this decision. "I…Look Maur I know that adopting her doesn't really change anything. That little girl is my daughter no matter what, but I just…I love her so much. I love her so much and I want to adopt her because I want to make sure she knows," she continued, her eyes shining with tears. "When I asked you to marry me I was making a commitment to Amelia too and I want to be sure she knows it. I want…I need…I love her so much Maur."_

 _Overwhelmed with love for the woman in front of her Maura was momentarily at a loss for words, her own eyes filling with tears as she eventually reached out, placing both her hands on her fiancée's cheeks. "You, Jane Rizzoli, are like a dream," she finally whispered, wiping away a lone tear with her thumb as it made its way down Jane's cheek. "I have spent the last 6 years wishing for someone like you for me and Amelia; someone to complete our family. You…you are a dream come true."_

 _"Is…is that a yes?" Jane asked carefully, placing her hands on the blonde's waist._

 _"Yes Jane," Maura allowed her own tears to fall. "That is definitely a yes," she pulled the brunette's face towards hers; joining their lips in a kiss, which she hoped conveyed everything she was feeling. "I love you. I love you so much. I love you."_

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As she sat at a table in the café she agreed to meet Hope at, Maura did her best to remain calm, keeping her mind focused on her memory of the night before, which instantly brought a smile to her face. Though both she and Jane were excited about their plan, they had decided to wait to tell Amelia since Jane wanted to do something big in order to ask the little blonde if she could adopt her. And though Maura normally hated secrets, this was one she was extremely excited about.

"I would love to know what has brought that faraway happy look to your face," it was Hope's voice that interrupted the blonde's daydreaming, Maura opening up her eyes to find her birth Mother standing in front of the table with a smile of her own on her face.

"Oh Hope, I didn't see you come in," Maura greeted, feeling her cheeks heating up in slight embarrassment. "I was a little distracted."

"I noticed," Hope chuckled, taking a seat across from the blonde. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your obviously happy musings, but I am quite pleased that you asked me here today," she said, making Maura smile. "I was rather surprised that you contacted me so soon after our last meeting. May I ask what has you so happy this afternoon?"

"I was just thinking about last night," Maura replied, smile still on her face. "I must have gotten a little caught up in the memory," she explained, watching as Hope merely raised an eyebrow in question, obviously wanting an elaboration. "Jane asked me if she could adopt Amelia last night," she decided to share.

"Well that explains the smile then," Hope nodded understandingly. "That's wonderful Maura. The three of you seem very happy together. I'm sure Amelia was thrilled when you told her?"

"We haven't told her yet," Maura shook her head. "You're right though, she will be absolutely thrilled when Jane asks her, but we decided to wait. Jane wants to plan something special," she explained. "They have a special relationship those two. I'm not quite sure Amelia will fully understand what the whole thing really means to Jane, but she'll be happy," she said, just as their waiter came over, forcing a break in the conversation as both women made their decisions.

"On the phone you said there was something you wanted to speak to me about," Hope said once the waiter left them, her attention focused solely on Maura, who felt a little nervous under the older woman's stare. "Would it be presumptuous to guess that you've given my offer to come work at the clinic some thought?"

"Oh well…well I have been thinking about that," Maura nodded, her heart racing in her chest. "But I'm afraid that isn't what I wanted to talk with you about today."

"Okay," Hope replied, waiting a moment for Maura to continue, confused as the blonde merely continued to chew her lip nervously. "Well what is it then? Did you need help with another case?"

"No, it's not a case," Maura shook her head, taking a deep breath, wishing her stomach would stop its constant flip flopping. "There's actually something I would like to tell you…something that I should have told you as soon as I met you, but I'm afraid I didn't know how," she continued, doing her best to avoid the older woman's confused gaze. "To be honest I'm still not really sure how to tell you, but I know that I have to tell you because it should come from me…it should come from me and Cailin already knows and…"

"Cailin?" Hope interrupted, causing Maura to look up and finally meet her eyes. "What does Cailin know? What is this about Maura?"

Knowing she needed to just get it out, Maura once again looked away from Hope's eyes, staring at the table as she began. "I was adopted. My parents adopted me, a fact, which I've known since I was quite young," she figured she needed to start from the beginning. "I never knew who my birth parents were…I could never find anything about them because I was told that the adoption was closed. I had…I had given up hope on ever finding them until last year," she explained, getting to the part that she knew would be difficult. "Last year Jane and I got a case; a young man had been killed and his identity was unknown. I did a blood test, which led me to discover that he was my half brother…that we shared the same father and I eventually found out that, that father was…that my birth father is…my birth father is Patrick Doyle," she revealed, looking up to find Hope frozen in shock, staring at her with her mouth partially open. "I'm Paddy Doyle's daughter," she repeated. "I'm…I'm _your_ daughter."

With shaking hands, Maura waited for Hope to say something, her nerves increasing as she watched the older woman's eyes begin to fill with tears, looking like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Hope…" The Medical Examiner searched her brain for something to say.

"How could you…you're not…you can't…" Hope was struggling to find the right words. "My baby…my daughter died. She died."

"I know that's what Paddy told you," Maura tried to keep her voice calm even though she could feel her emotions beginning to overwhelm her. "Paddy told me that he told you that your baby died but that was to protect you. That was to protect you and me from his father," she explained, even though she felt like it should be Paddy explaining this to the other woman. "Paddy knew we were both in danger and so he lied to you. He lied to you Hope and I'm sorry but…"

"No," Hope interrupted, shaking her head. "No. That…it can't be. _You_ can't be," she continued, breathing heavily, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I don't know what you want or who you are but this…this is cruel. I told you about losing my baby in confidence and for you to…"

"I'm not. I would never," Maura was struggling to keep her own emotions under control as her own hazel eyes glazed over with tears. "I know this is a lot to take in. It was a lot for me too, but I wouldn't lie to you about this," she cried. "I'm not telling you this because I want anything from you, I just thought you should know. I wanted you to hear it from me before you heard it from someone else."

"I can't do this," Hope stood from her seat, not caring that both she and Maura were creating a scene, several tables of people watching them closely. "I…I just…I can't do this," she repeated before hastily grabbing her things and heading for the door, not even looking back before she exited the café.

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Maura wasn't really sure how long she sat at the table, tears falling silently down her cheeks as she did her best to ignore the stares of the other patrons. It wasn't until the waiter awkwardly approached the table with their order that Maura finally pulled herself together, apologizing as she placed some bills on the table before heading back out onto the street.

Feeling unable to handle being around other people, the Medical Examiner decided not to return to work, sending Susie a text to let her know before getting in the car and heading towards home. Since she knew Jane was likely to discover she didn't return to work, Maura set her phone to silent when she reached the house, grateful that Angela seemed to be out as she made her way upstairs, only bothering to take her shoes off before climbing into bed.

"Maura! Maur are you here? Where are you?" Jane's voice called through the house less than an hour later. "Maura?"

"I'm here," Maura replied only loud enough for her to hear, listening as Jane's footsteps sounded up the steps, moving quickly as they got closer to the master bedroom.

"Maur?" Jane poked her head in the doorway, sighing in relief as she found the blonde, her face immediately falling into a frown. "Maur what happened? Susie said you weren't coming back to work; I had to get Frost to drive me over here," she explained, sitting down on the edge of the bed and finally noticing her fiancée's tear-stained cheeks. "Oh no Maura," she sounded sad. "What happened love?"

"It was awful," Maura sniffed, fighting to stop the tears. "It was like my worst nightmare come true. S-she asked me what I wanted and she didn't believe me at all," she explained sadly. "She wouldn't listen and she just left. It was so awful Jane. I never should have went; this whole thing was a mistake."

"Oh honey, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think," Jane said, immediately knowing it was a mistake as she received a glare from the blonde in reply. "Okay I'm sorry, I know it was awful," she corrected herself. "I know this whole thing is probably really hard for you and I know telling Hope was really difficult, but you've got to try and understand how she must feel too. I'm sure she was just in shock when you told her. Give it some time Maur. She'll come around."

"How can you be so sure?" Maura asked, wiping the tears off her face. "How do you know she's not going to refuse to ever see me again?"

"Because I saw you two together," Jane shrugged, running her hand over the blonde's head. "You two are so much alike and you got along brilliantly. Eventually Hope is going to remember that and she'll reach out. Just give it some time Baby," she leaned down, kissing Maura's head. "It's going to be okay."

"I just don't know how to handle this," Maura admitted, shrugging sadly. "I don't know what to do and I really hate that."

"I know," Jane chuckled, understanding how difficult it was for Maura to not know what to do. "I know you're used to being the one with all the answers, but this is different. It's not that simple," she said, wishing she had something more reassuring to say. "You know it might help to talk to someone."

"You mean like a professional?" Maura asked, slightly surprised.

"Actually that's not really what I had in mind," Jane shook her head, grabbing Maura's cell phone from the bedside table, hoping her idea was a good one. "I was thinking maybe you should talk to your Mom."

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"Maura, what a pleasant surprise," Constance answered her phone after only 2 rings, sounding quite pleased to be hearing from her daughter. "How are you darling?"

Hearing her Mother's happiness, Maura was immediately overcome with emotions; suddenly wishing Jane had stayed with her as she let out a rather loud sob.

"Maura? Maura what is it? What's wrong?" Constance's voice was panicked, obviously startled by the younger woman's outburst. "Is it Amelia? Jane? What happened?"

"No, no t-they're both okay," Maura's voice was wavering, tears still falling down her face. "I'm sorry I just…I was rather upset and J-Jane said I should t-talk to you."

"What is it Darling? Why are you so upset?" Constance asked, her daughter's words doing nothing to make her feel better. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I found Hope," Maura blurted out, seeing no reason to beat around the bush. "I found my birth Mother. Her name is Hope Martin, and she's a Doctor here in Boston and I found her…I…I met her and I should have told you about that. I should have told you that I was still looking for her b-but I didn't know how and now I've met her and she knows who I am and it went terribly," she continued to cry, not caring if she sounded like a small child. "I told her I was her daughter…that Paddy lied to her but she didn't believe me. She accused me of wanting something from her…of…of being cruel," she said, waiting for her Mother to say something, listening instead to the silence on the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have come to you with this."

"No!" Constance seemed to find her voice, shouting through the phone. "No! No, I'm sorry. I was just…well I was just a little surprised is all," she explained. "I had no idea you were still looking for Hope, and I really didn't anticipate all of this," she sighed. "I'm sorry Maura. I feel a little responsible for all the pain this has caused you. I wish I had been honest with you about your adoption in the first place."

"It's not your fault," Maura replied, lounging back on the bed, leaning against the headboard with her phone gripped tightly in her hand. "I know I didn't understand your motives for keeping it from me at first, but honestly I don't really blame you. If I had been in your position I'm not sure I would have told me either…there really is no easy way to explain my history."

"No," Constance agreed. "But I wish I had tried," she sounded disappointed in herself. "Perhaps all of this would have been easier to deal with if I had just been truthful with you."

"I don't want you to feel bad about that," Maura sighed; suddenly guilty that she had called. "That's not why I called. I just…I…."

"It would be startling," Constance interrupted, wanting to offer the support that Maura so obviously needed. "It would be startling to find out your whole life has been a lie; that something you have spent years and years dealing with emotionally was actually untrue...I think you can relate to that can't you?"

"Yes I suppose I could," Maura replied, thinking of how she had felt when she found out about both Paddy and Hope.

"Obviously I don't know this Hope woman, but I suppose she's had quite a shock today," Constance continued. "This isn't something she can simply accept without question, which is probably why she reacted poorly. I feel fairly certain that once she has had time to properly digest this new information she will come to her senses and realize what wonderful news this truly is," she said, making Maura smile a watery smile that her Mother obviously couldn't see. "You are an amazing daughter Maura, and Hope will realize how lucky she is for a second chance to know you; how lucky she is to have you as a daughter. I only wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize it myself."

"Mother we've…we've come a long way," Maura said, not wanting the older woman to feel badly. "We agreed to start over; to give our relationship a second chance."

"I know Maura and I'm incredibly grateful for that," Constance replied. "And I hope you'll do the same for Hope when she comes to her senses, because she will," she assured her. "And when she does I think it will be best for both of you if you start fresh."

"And you'd be okay with that?" Maura asked carefully, not wanting to ruin her relationship with her Mother because of Hope. "You would be okay with me having a relationship with her?"

"It won't change our relationship," Constance told her, her voice firm, wanting to make sure the younger woman was listening. "I will support you no matter what Maura. I will be here for you. No matter what."

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Though she was clearly still upset about Hope, Maura seemed to have gained some sort of reassurance from her phone call with her Mother, as the blonde was able to pull herself together enough to join Jane in picking Amelia up from school before returning home to prepare a family dinner. Jane was still worried about her fiancée but decided the best thing she could do for her was to listen and be there for her when she needed her.

Two days had passed and Maura hadn't brought Hope up much, busying herself with caring for Amelia and helping Jane plan her "proposal" for Amelia. It was getting late that night, Amelia already up in bed, while Maura worked in her study, when Jane heard a light knocking at the front door from where she sat watching some mindless television show. Confused as to who would be visiting at such a late hour, Jane was apprehensive as she approached the front door, peeking out the window to find a nervous looking Hope standing on the front step.

Taking a deep breath, Jane opened up the door, in protective mode as she greeted the older woman. "Hope," she said, not opening up the door all the way. "What are you doing here? It's late."

"I know," Hope nodded, looking appropriately ashamed. "And I'm sorry for the hour, but I just…I need to talk to her," she said, her eyes begging, almost sad. "I need to talk to Maura."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Jane wasn't ready to allow this woman into Maura's life quite so easily. "She's still dealing with the emotional ramifications of your last talk."

"I know," Hope's shoulders slumped, looking a little defeated. "I know our last conversation went terribly, but you have to understand how difficult that conversation was for me. Please, let me talk to her…let me…let me try and fix this."

Watching Hope carefully, Jane considered her for a moment before opening up the door wider; stepping aside so Hope could enter. "Before I go get her, I want to say one thing," she said, turning to Hope as she closed the door, her tone serious with just a hint of warning. "Maura is special. She's smart and beautiful and absolutely amazing…everything she does is absolutely amazing," she repeated, taking a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. "But there are things that don't come easy for her; things that I have watched her struggle with and her past is definitely one of those things. Maura has spent most of her life feeling unwanted and unloved and there's not a chance in hell I'm going to sit back and let anyone else make her feel that way ever again. I love her and I love Amelia; they're my family and I won't let anyone hurt my family. Do you understand?"

"I do," Hope was quick to reply keeping eye contact with Jane, wanting to ensure the brunette knew she was serious. "And I can assure you that I'm not going to hurt her. I just want to talk to her."

"Okay then," Jane nodded, holding up a hand to indicate she would be right back before venturing down the hall, knocking softly on the study door before poking her head inside. "Maur? Um Hope is here. She'd like to talk to you."

"Oh," Maura was obviously surprised, standing from behind her desk, and walking on shaking legs towards Jane.

"She just wants to talk," Jane offered Maura her hand, leaning in and placing a kiss on the blonde's temple before leading them back towards the foyer where Hope still stood, looking nervous as she paced around.

"Hope," Maura called, startling her birth Mother, whose pacing immediately stopped, turning towards her name with a frightened look on her face that was quickly replaced with a small smile. "I'm…what…" the medical examiner lost her nerve, not knowing what to say as Jane squeezed her hand in reassurance. "What are you doing here?"

"I spoke with Cailin," Hope replied, looking as if she wanted to reach out for the younger woman but thinking better of it, clasping her hands together instead. "She told me everything that happened and she showed me the articles that were written about you and Paddy. I'm…I don't even know why I doubted you. I'm not sure how I didn't see it," she said, her voice quieter. "I came to terms with losing my baby a long time ago, but I have never stopped thinking about it. To find out that all of that was a lie…to find out that you were a lie was all a little…"

"Overwhelming?" Maura guessed, raising an eyebrow.

"Extremely," Hope nodded, meeting Maura's eyes for the first time. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did, and I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she apologized. "But I came here tonight hoping for a second chance. Please Maura. Can we start over?"


	9. A Second Proposal

**So I couldn't resist starting on this chapter and it slowly became a fluff-fest! I hope you'll enjoy it because I sure enjoyed writing it!**

 **Happy Reading! –J**

 **Chapter 9- A Second Proposal**

"Mama….Mama…Mama wake up," Amelia's tiny hand shook Jane's shoulder, her voice quiet and rather scared sounding as she tried to wake the sleeping brunette in the middle of the night. "Mama!" She tried raising her voice.

"W-wha…huh?" Jane slowly raised her head, opening her eyes, only able to make out the six year old's silhouette in the darkness. "Mia?" She sat up, turning on the bedside lamp, which immediately roused Maura. "Bug what's wrong?"

"What's going on?" Maura asked at the same time, rolling over towards her fiancée, slightly disoriented.

"Mama I had a bad dream," Amelia's scared little voice replied with a sniffle. "A bad man came and took you and Mommy away and I was all by myself."

"Aw Munchkin that's not going to happen," Jane was quick to assure the little blonde, lifting her up onto her lap and hugging her close, smiling as Amelia wrapped her arms around her neck. "No one is going to take me and Mommy away from you, I would never let that happen," she said, rubbing her hand up and down the little girl's back. "Mommy and I would never leave you alone Baby."

"I was scared," Amelia said, her arms tightening around Jane's neck as Maura sat up next to the pair. "I didn't think you guys would be here."

"Of course we're here. It was just a dream Bug," Jane kissed Amelia's head. "You don't need to be scared. Mama and Mommy are here."

"Can I sleep here with you?" Amelia asked, her face buried in Jane's hair. "Please? I wanna stay here with you and Mommy."

Before she answered, Jane turned her head towards Maura, finding the blonde nodding her head with a smile. "Of course you can," she answered, placing the little blonde between her and Maura, smiling as Maura curled up behind Amelia as she turned off the light, before joining Maura with her arm around their daughter. "Sleep now sweetheart, Mommy and I will keep the bad dreams away."

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When Jane woke the next morning she couldn't help the groan that escaped her throat, her entire body weighed down by the six year old that was sleeping entirely on top of her; her blonde head tucked right under Jane's chin. Not remembering when her daughter had moved from beside her to on top of her, Jane struggled to move, her muscles sore as she let out another moan, which roused Maura who lay next to her.

"Jane?" Maura's eyes squinted open, immediately giggling at the sight of Amelia sprawled on top on her fiancée. "Well she looks comfortable," she laughed lightly, sitting up and running her hand over the little girl's head before placing a kiss there. "When did that happen?"

"I have no idea but it feels like it's been hours," Jane groaned. "A little help here."

Still chuckling, Maura carefully lifted Amelia off Jane, placing her back in the middle of the bed, not surprised that the little blonde didn't wake at all. "Why is it that she always ends up on top of me when she sleeps in here?" Jane asked, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Amelia. "Am I really more comfortable than this bed? Because this is probably the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on."

"Well apparently Amelia prefers you," Maura smiled, absentmindedly playing with her daughter's hair. "She's obviously more comfortable with you. You make her feel safe. She loves you."

Grinning Jane stretched out her arms, watching Maura and Amelia for a few moments before a thought sprung to her mind. "I want to ask her this weekend," she decided, no longer able to hold on to her secret. "I think I've got to stop obsessing over making everything perfect and just do this whole thing. I mean she's six I don't think it's really going to take much to impress her," she laughed as Maura nodded her agreement. "It's going to be special no matter what I decide to do and I really don't want to wait anymore. So let's do it this weekend. We'll ask her Saturday and then Sunday we can have a family dinner and tell everyone else. Can we Maur? Please?"

"Of course we can," Maura smiled, holding out a hand for Jane to take, loving just how much this adoption meant to the Detective. "You know I cannot wait to see Angela's reaction to all of this. I know she's practically Amelia's grandmother already but something tells me she is going to be thrilled by the official title that comes with the adoption and the wedding," she said. "Amelia is going to love being a Rizzoli-Isles. We're both very happy about getting to be a part of your family."

"You two have been a part of the family since the day we met," Jane rolled her eyes, giving Maura's hand a squeeze so she knew she understood. "But I do really like the sound of that; Rizzoli-Isles I mean," she clarified. "You…you want to change Mia's last name...like officially?"

"Well I thought that was a given," Maura furrowed her eyebrow, confused by Jane's surprise. "I just thought that when we got married we would take each other's last names and then Amelia would take your name as well so that we would all have the same last name," she explained. "Is that not what you wanted because…"

Maura was cut off as Jane grabbed her by the back of the head pulling her in for a rather intense kiss. "Yes," Jane said when she pulled away, breathing deeply. "That is exactly what I want," she grinned, once again pulling Maura into a kiss.

"Yuck," it was Amelia's voice that interrupted the couple's moment, both laughing, as they pulled apart to find Amelia watching them, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Excuse me young lady?" Maura raised an eyebrow. "Yuck? What exactly is yuck?"

"You guys are kissing," Amelia rolled her eyes in a very Jane-like way, Maura glaring at the brunette who snorted in an attempt to hold back her laughter. "Kissing is yucky."

"Kissing is not yucky," Maura shook her head. "Especially when people love each other like me and your Mama do. That's why we were kissing. We love each other very much."

"We sure do," Jane nodded her agreement. "And you wanna know who else we love?" She asked giving Maura a wink, hoping the blonde would catch on to her plan. "You!" She said before attacking Amelia, covering her face with kisses as Maura did the same on her other side.

"Okay! Okay!" Amelia's giggles filled the room as she struggled to get away from her Mothers. "Stop! Stop! It's not yucky! No more kisses," she continued to laugh as Jane and Maura finally pulled away, both also laughing.

"There will definitely be more kisses little girl," Jane said, leaning down and placing one last kiss on Amelia's forehead. "But much less," she said before glancing at the clock, disappointed that the late hour meant that they would all need to start getting ready for their day. "Now how about we all get up out of this bed and get to work and school huh?"

"Aw do we have to?" Amelia stuck out her lip in a pout.

"Yes we have to," Maura laughed not missing the look on Jane's face that indicated that she was actually considering whether or not they really needed to go to work that day. "Why don't you go get yourself ready and we'll all meet downstairs for breakfast? Does pancakes sound good?"

"Okay!" Amelia agreed rather enthusiastically, jumping up and standing on the bed, giving Maura and then Jane quick hugs before getting down from the bed and running for the hallway.

"Well that was easy," Jane laughed, falling back onto the bed.

"Yes well unfortunately that won't last many more years," Maura smiled, already up and pulling on a robe, making her way around the bed to Jane's side. "Now come on you. Time to get up, you've got pancakes to make."

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Jane was in a hurry. Having gotten caught up in an interview with a suspect in their current case, the brunette panicked when she got a look at the time, taking the stairs down to the morgue rather than waiting for the elevator.

"Maur I've got exactly ten minutes before I need to be in the car or else I'm going to be late getting to the school," Jane announced as she barged into the Medical Examiner's office. "Please tell me you found some time to look at those cue cards I gave you? Seriously I don't want to say the wrong thing in front of a bunch of 6 year olds. Are they okay?"

"Your notes are fine Jane," Maura sighed, putting her pen down and closing the case file in front of her. "But like I told you this morning I really don't think you need notes. They're in kindergarten; they're all going to want to ask you a bunch of questions that will have nothing to do with your work and everything to do with what your favourite colour is and what food you like to eat," she couldn't help but smile. "You have nothing to be nervous about Jane."

"I know," Jane sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Mia's just so excited about bringing me for show and tell, I just really don't want to let her down. I mean she's taking me as her best friend; that's a lot of pressure. I've got to be cool."

"They're 6 Jane," Maura laughed. "They're going to be impressed no matter what. Just tell them you're like Super-Bat or Spider-Guy."

"Super…you know what I don't have enough time to touch that one," Jane shook her head, once again checking her watch, knowing she was running out of time. "So is Hope still planning on bringing you lunch today?"

"She sent me a text not too long ago," Maura nodded. "She's on her way," she said with a nervous smile. "We're just taking it one step at a time. Baby steps I guess you could say."

"I think that sounds like a great plan," Jane grinned, having heard what Hope had to say and trusting that the older woman wouldn't hurt Maura anymore. "I really wish I could stay to say hi but I've really gotta get going, Mia will totally yell at me if I'm late," she joked, giving Maura a kiss on the cheek. "Tell Hope I say hi though? And I'll be back here in a couple hours?"

"Have fun," Maura smiled as Jane gave her one last kiss before practically running for the door, her footsteps heard all the way down the hall and into the stairwell.

More than just a little excited, Jane drove faster than she should have, arriving at the school in record time, giving herself a few extra minutes to gather herself before heading inside. Making a quick stop at the main office to check in, it wasn't long before Jane made it to Amelia's classroom, knocking lightly on the doorframe as she poked her head inside.

"Ah Detective Rizzoli," Mrs. Kensington greeted from where she stood at the front of the classroom. "Boy and Girls it looks like it's time for Show and Tell," she told the excited room of kindergarteners. "Amelia."

As the class all stood from their tables and made their way over to sit on the carpet, Amelia ran over to greet Jane, a big smile on her face. "Mama!" She threw her arms around Jane's neck as she bent down to greet her. "I'm so excited you're here!"

"I'm excited too Bug," Jane placed a kiss on the little blonde's forehead. "Now how about we go talk to your class huh?"

Nodding excitedly, Amelia took Jane by the hand and lead her towards the head of the carpet where Mrs. Kensington was waiting for them.

"Amelia whenever you're ready you can begin," the teacher said as she took a seat in her rocking chair.

"For my show and tell I brought my Mama," Amelia began to recite the presentation she had practiced with Maura the night before. "My Mama is my best friend. She is funny and fun and she plays with me whenever she can," she continued. "Mama is a Detective. She helps the police catch bad guys with my Mommy and my Uncle Frostie and Uncle Korsak. I brought her for my show and tell because I talk about her a lot and I wanted her to meet all of you and because I love her very much," she grinned up at Jane.

"Does anyone have any questions for Amelia or her Mama?" Mrs. Kensington then asked, every student's arm shooting up. "Amelia, go ahead and pick a friend."

"Ummm Emery," Amelia pointed towards the girl.

"What do you and your Mama like to do together?" Emery asked.

"We like to have dance parties and read stories," Amelia replied.

"And we also like to watch Disney movies and make pizza with her Mommy," Jane added, watching as the rest of the class waited with their hands still up excitedly.

"What's your favourite Disney movie to watch?" Another student asked when Amelia pointed to them.

"We like Beauty and the Beast. Right Mia?" Jane answered as Amelia nodded enthusiastically. "You know if it's alright with Mrs. Kensington I'd like to tell you all a story," Jane said, sitting down cross-legged on the floor and pulling Amelia onto her lap as the teacher nodded her agreement. "I'd like to tell you guys about the day that my whole life changed….the day I met Mia."

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By Saturday morning Jane was practically buzzing with excitement. After her visit with Amelia's class, the Detective had been unable to talk about anything else, replaying the presentation over and over again for Maura who was thrilled to listen since she loved seeing both Jane and Amelia so happy. Since Maura had, had a successful lunch visit with Hope, Jane felt like things couldn't get any better; their whole household in wonderful moods as they reached the end of the work week.

"You're thinking rather loudly over there," Maura rolled over in bed, smirking as she found Jane lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling with a smile on her face. "You look happy."

"How can I not be?" Jane turned her head towards the blonde. "I'm so excited for today Maur. I…I cannot wait to see her face…to see that smile."

"She's going to be thrilled," Maura nodded, shuffling closer to the brunette, feeling nothing but love as she saw the look on her fiancée's face. "She's going to remember this day for the rest of her life Jane. She's always going to remember what you did for her….how much you love her."

"I sure hope so," Jane grinned, rolling so she was on top of Maura, covering her face with kisses before finding her mouth, engaging her in a kiss that immediately became heated. "Can we wake her now? Please?" She asked when she pulled away.

"Really? You're going to kiss me like that and then ask to wake Amelia? Really Jane?" Maura couldn't believe what she was hearing, still trying to catch her breath after that kiss.

"Yes Maura. Really," Jane laughed, placing a kiss on Maura's nose when she began to pout. "Today is all about Mia," she said crawling out of bed and grabbing Maura's hand, pulling her up. "But I promise tonight will be all about you. Now come on. Let's get the stuff."

Unable to deny the excited brunette, Maura helped Jane gather everything she needed before they both made their way to Amelia's room, the little girl surprising them as she was already sitting up in bed with a book in her lap.

"Good morning Mommy! Good morning Mama!" Amelia greeted happily, still engrossed in her book.

"Good morning Bug!" Jane greeted, both women making their way over to the bed. "We didn't expect you to be up already, but it's a good thing you are. We've got a big day today."

"We do?" Amelia looked up, her brow furrowed. "Why is it a big day? What are we doing?"

"Today is a day all for you, because Mommy and I love you," Jane explained, her smile wide. "We aren't going to tell you exactly what we're doing yet but we will tell you that you'll need to wear this," she said handing Amelia a rather large gift bag.

Excited, Amelia immediately stuck her head in the bag, gasping as she pulled out the yellow dress that sat inside. "It's just like Belle's!" The six year old exclaimed. "I get to wear this?"

"You sure do," Maura replied, smiling at the little girl's excitement. "And while Mama goes to get some other things ready, I'm going to do your hair and help you get all ready. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great!" Amelia grinned, giving both Maura and Jane a hug before jumping off the bed. "Come on Mommy! Come on Mama! Let's get ready!"

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It started with a visit to the biggest bookstore Jane could find without having to go too far. They had driven almost an hour to get to the store but it was worth it when Jane and Maura saw the look of awe on their daughter's face when they walked inside. With a promise that she could get whatever she wanted, the six year old had to look at every shelf, walking out of the store almost two hours later with her arms full.

Amelia couldn't look cuter in Jane's opinion. With her blonde curls pulled up into a bun on the top of her head, and some sparkly makeup on her cheeks, Amelia was in her glory in her yellow dress, gliding around like she was a Disney princess herself. The little blonde fit right in when they visited what Maura had called a "proper tea room", where they trio had enjoyed afternoon tea, much to Amelia's delight.

"We're going to the park?" Amelia asked later that afternoon, looking out the window at the park that the family often visited. "Isn't it too cold?"

"We're not staying long," Jane replied, already helping Amelia out of the car. "There's just something I want to do here," she said, taking Amelia by one hand while Maura took the other. "Do you remember the first time the three of us came here?" She asked, leading the two blondes towards the tree they had ate under that day.

"We played baseball and had a picnic," Amelia nodded. "Mommy hit a ball and I played with that girl on the playground."

"Exactly," Jane said, trying to keep her nerves at bay. "You know I think that was one of my favourite days," she said, stopping under the tree and kneeling down in front of the little girl. "We were all just becoming friends but spending time with you and your Mommy made me so happy and even though I really didn't even realize it at the time, I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life just like that; with you and Mommy."

"That's why you asked Mommy to marry you right Mama?" Amelia asked. "So you could be together for your whole life?"

"That's right," Jane nodded, looking behind Amelia to see that Maura's eyes were already shining with tears. "I fell in love with Mommy pretty quickly and without even really realizing it, but I also fell in love with you," she smiled, taking Amelia's much smaller hands in hers. "I love you so much little Bug. And even though you're already my daughter, there's something I wanted to ask you," she said, tears springing to her own eyes as she got to the most important part, Amelia watching her carefully and curiously. "When I marry Mommy it means that we'll be a family. We're already a family, but it will be official and I would like to make you my daughter officially too," she took a deep breath. "I would like to adopt you Amelia. I would like to adopt you so that everyone knows that I'm your Mama; so that it's official," she explained, hoping Amelia would understand. "So I brought you here today Mia to ask you if I can adopt you and make you a Rizzoli-Isles; to ask you if you'd like to be my daughter forever and ever.

"I would like that more than anything," Amelia beamed throwing her arms around Jane's neck, the brunette allowing the tears to fall, looking up to find Maura doing the same. "I love you Mama!"

"I love you too Mia," Jane replied through happy tears as Maura joined in on their hug. "I love you and your Mommy very, very much.


	10. Grandmas

**Cannot stop writing fluff. Cannot stop!**

 **Hope you all don't mind too much fluffiness! Back to reality soon! -J**

 **Chapter 10- Grandmas**

"Mommy how come everyone's coming over today?" Amelia asked Maura Sunday morning after breakfast, sitting on the older blonde's lap in the family room.

"Well we're having family dinner," Maura replied, circling her arms around the little girl's waist, enjoying the cuddles. "And Mama and I wanted to get everyone together so we could tell them about the adoption."

"Oh," Amelia nodded, resting her head on Maura's chest as she played with the collar of her flannel pajamas.

"What are you thinking about little girl?" Maura asked, placing a kiss on top of her daughter's head, knowing from the silence that there was something.

"Mommy are you adopted?" Amelia asked, though she knew the answer, having heard about her Mother's adoption before; Maura suspecting she didn't fully understand the concept.

"Yes Sweetheart," Maura smiled as Amelia looked up at her. "Your Grandma and Grandpa adopted me when I was just a baby because my par…the people who gave birth to me couldn't take care of me," she explained, realizing this fact was probably confusing the little girl. "You know your adoption is different then mine Honey. Mama isn't adopting you because I can't take care of you. She wants to adopt you because she loves both of us very much. She wants to adopt you so that we're all a family. You understand that don't you?"

"I think so," Amelia nodded, returning her head to her Mother's chest, taking comfort in the feeling of Maura's fingers in her hair. "I'm glad we're gonna be a family Mommy. I always wanted to be a Rizzoli."

"Oh you did huh?" Maura couldn't help but laugh since they had only known Jane for a couple years. "I'm pretty happy about becoming a Rizzoli too," she admitted, hugging Amelia tighter as she thought about the dreams that were coming true for her and her little girl.

With Maura lost in thought, and Amelia content to simply sit in her Mother's arms, neither blonde heard Jane, who had been cleaning up their breakfast mess, approaching.

"Well you two look cozy," the brunette interrupted the quiet moment. "Is there room for me in this snuggle session?"

"I think we can make some space for you," Maura smiled, shuffling down a bit so Jane could sit between her and the arm of the couch, Amelia stretching out so her feet were resting in Jane's lap as soon as she sat down. "Amelia and I were just talking about how excited we are to become Rizzolis," she made her fiancée smile.

"Well I'm very happy to hear that," Jane kissed Maura's temple. "And I gotta say I'm pretty excited about becoming an Isles. I mean two of the best people I know are Isles'. I just hope I can live up to the name."

"You already do," Maura smiled, leaning her head on Jane's shoulder, the couple suddenly wishing they didn't have guests coming over, basking in the family time they were currently enjoying.

"Can I wear my Belle dress again today?" Amelia was the one to break the silence, sitting up so she could look at both of her mothers, putting on her best, begging, smile. "Please?"

"Well," Maura considered this for a moment, watching as Amelia stuck out her lip in a pout that the Medical Examiner simply couldn't resist. "Oh all right.

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Angela was gushing over Amelia the second she saw her in her Disney princess dress. The elder Rizzoli had come over from the guesthouse in the early afternoon, having spent the previous night visiting her cousin across town and she just could not get over just how adorable Amelia looked.

Though she was young, Amelia had nodded her understanding when her Mothers had told her she needed to keep the adoption a secret for a few more hours, as they wanted to tell the entire family at once.

"Maura are you sure I can't help with dinner?" Angela asked, hovering in the kitchen as Maura began prep for the meal she had planned. "There must be something I can do."

"Of course there is Angela," Maura replied, watching as Angela's face lit up. "You can go relax. Or play with Amelia," she suggested, Angela's smile immediately falling. "I'm sure Amelia would love to do some reading with you. Jane can help me," she said loud enough for the brunette, who was currently playing with Amelia's legos, to hear.

"Oh uh right," Jane knew enough to get up from where she was sitting on the floor. "I'll help. You just hang out with Mia, Ma," she ushered her Mother out of the kitchen. "Maura and I have this covered."

Waiting until Angela was out of earshot, Jane turned her attention back to Maura, noticing a rather nervous look on the blonde's face. "Hey what's up?" The Detective asked, placing a hand on her fiancée's lower back. "You look a little freaked? You're not worried about this concoction you have planned are you?" She gestured towards whatever Maura was making. "Because honestly Babe I think you would have been better off with my Ma helping you. My cooking skills are limited to a few select meals as you already know."

"It's not about dinner," Maura shook her head. "I just knew if your Mother was in here helping me I wouldn't be able to lie when she inevitably asked me what this whole dinner was about. She knows I can't lie Jane," she explained. "I really don't want to ruin the surprise by letting something slip before everyone else gets here. My mother called when you were in the shower by the way. She's going to make it after all," she told Jane, unable to hide her smile.

"That's great news Maur," Jane felt suddenly grateful for Constance's new attitude towards her relationship with Maura. "Any chance I'll be meeting your Father?"

"He's still out of the country," Maura shook her head. "Do you think it's odd? We're getting married and yet neither of us have met the other's Father."

"Nah I just think we both have shitty relationships with our Fathers," Jane shrugged, suspecting there was more to Maura's relationship with her Father that she didn't know. "We don't need to meet them to know that we want to marry each other. Plus we've got our Mothers."

"Yes we do," Maura smiled, handing Jane a knife, gesturing for her to start doing some chopping. "I must say I'm rather glad I decided not to invite Hope after all. I'm not sure I'm ready for her and my Mother to meet just yet."

"Yeah I'm not sure this would have been the best occasion for an introduction," Jane agreed, getting to work on dinner. "Have you given anymore thought about what you want to tell Mia about Hope?"

"I'd like to tell her the truth eventually," Maura replied. "I just wish it wasn't so confusing."

"I don't think you give the kid enough credit," Jane told her. "Mia's smart. She seems to have understood everything else you've thrown at her. She'll get it and I'm willing to bet she'll really like Hope," she said. "Now come on," she poked the blonde in the side. "This dinner isn't going to make itself, and I sure don't want to be in here all day."

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It was loud. The noise entered the house in the form of Jane's brothers and Frost, the trio bursting into the house and asking for drinks only to be told to get their drinks themselves with a glare from Jane. Korsak had arrived not long after, bottle of wine in hand, while Constance arrived after nearly an hour, apologizing for her lateness before gushing over Amelia's outfit.

"How are things going with your…with Dr. Martin?" Constance asked Maura not long after she arrived, the duo sitting at the kitchen island watching the game of charades that was happening in the family room.

"Things are going...well," Maura still felt hesitant talking about this with her Mother, feeling like she was betraying her by getting to know her birth Mother even though Constance assured her that she was fine with it. "We're taking things a step at a time. We've met for lunch and we're talking fairly regularly but it's all a little strange," she explained, Constance nodding as she listened, looking interested. "Her daughter Cailin emailed me the other day as well. She's hoping we can get together soon."

"Well that's understandable," Constance, continued to nod. "I'm sure she'd like to get to know her sister."

"It's still so strange to me," Maura replied, her eyes falling on Jane and her brothers who were arguing over something, all three yelling and pushing at each other like children while Amelia laughed uncontrollably, bouncing around on the couch. "I always imagined what it would be like to have siblings when I was younger and now I have found out that not only did I have a brother but I have a sister as well…a sister who wants to know me. It's all so strange."

"I think it's good for you Darling," Constance placed her hand over Maura's. "You've been much happier since you have become a part of Jane's family. You've changed," she smiled, squeezing the hand under hers. "You've been so happy, I'm sure Dr. Martin and her daughter will only add to that."

Smiling, Maura couldn't help but feel rather emotional, grateful for the effort her Mother had been making. "You've added to that as well Mother," she told her. "You are actually a very large contributing factor to my happiness."

"I'm glad to hear that," Constance smiled. "Now are you and Jane going to tell us what we all needed to gather here today for?" She couldn't help but ask. "You were very mysterious on the phone. So what is it?"

"That will be revealed soon," Maura couldn't help but laugh. "You'll have to wait until dinner is served," she said, suddenly standing from her seat. "Now come on," she took her Mother's hand, gesturing towards where the rest of the group were still playing charades. "Let's go play."

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"Well I'm guessing you're all wondering why we brought you here today," Jane clinked her glass with a fork in order to gain the attention of all her guests. "Maura, Amelia and I have made some decisions regarding our family and we wanted to share them with all of you."

"We already know you're getting married Janie," Frankie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah you don't need to rub it in our face again," Tommy added. "We already know you're Ma's favourite because you're finally giving her a wedding."

"Actually this isn't about the wedding," Maura replied obliviously, thinking that both men were being serious.

"You'll have to excuse them Doc, they're a little jealous of their big sister," Frost laughed. "Go ahead Jane. Tell us whatever your big news is."

"Yes, please tell us!" Angela was a little more than excited. "What is it?"

"Mia," Jane turned towards the young blonde who was sitting in between her and Jane. "Would you like to tell everyone what I asked you yesterday?"

Beaming, Amelia nodded excitedly, looking from Jane to Maura before turning her attention to the rest of the table. "Yesterday Mama asked me if she could adopt me," she told everyone with a big grin. "And I said yes!"

Predictably, Angela was the first one on her feet, practically running around the table in order to throw her arms around Jane's neck. "Oh Janie I am so happy! I am so proud of you," she immediately became teary. "This is wonderful news! Just wonderful! I'm going to be a…I'll…Mia will be my…"

"Granddaughter," Maura finished for the older Rizzoli with a kind smile on her face. "Amelia will be very lucky to have another Grandmother in her life."

"Nonna. Please," Angela was letting the tears fall now. "I would like to be Nonna."

"Nonna?" Amelia tilted her head in confusion.

"Nonna is Italian for Grandma," Angela explained, running her hand over Amelia's head.

"I like that," Amelia grinned, standing up on her chair, with her arms open, asking for a hug. "Nonna!"

Thrilled, Angela scooped the little girl up into her arms while the rest of the table got to their feet, hugging both Jane and Maura who were so happy to see Angela's reaction.

"Congratulations Janie," Korsak hugged the brunette. "We're all so happy for you."

"You just gotta keep showing us up huh?" Frankie shook his head. "Not only are you marrying Doctor perfect over here," he hugged Maura. "But now you're giving Ma a grandkid too?"

"Just making our lives harder and harder," Tommy laughed, wrapping his sister in a bear hug. "Congratulations Janie," he kissed the top of her head. "We're gonna be the best Uncles ever."

"You already are," Jane wrapped her arms around both their necks, laughing as Constance approached, with a rather serious look on her face. "Oh...uh…Constance," Jane was suddenly nervous, releasing her brothers.

"You make my daughter and granddaughter very happy Jane Rizzoli," Constance smiled. "Thank you," she said before wrapping her arms around the brunette who was more than a little surprised.

"They make me just as happy," Jane smiled, taking Maura's hand when Constance had released her. "And I can't even believe they're my family. I must be the luckiest woman in the world," she placed a kiss on the honey-blonde's cheek.

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The adoption had turned their family dinner into a real party, Jane insisting that Maura pull out a bottle of champagne as everyone chatted excitedly about not only the adoption, but the wedding as well. After dinner was over, the party had moved into the family room, no one anxious to leave until Maura reminded them that they had work and school in the morning as she lifted a half asleep Amelia off of Frost's lap.

Since it was mainly her brothers who made most of the mess in the family room, Jane had volunteered to clean up, while Maura carried a sleepy Amelia upstairs towards her bedroom.

"Think you can help me here little girl?" Maura chuckled as she began pulling Amelia's dress off in order to change her into pajamas.

"Too tired," Amelia shook her head, squinting her eyes open as she lifted her arms in order to help her Mother without actually sitting up. "Today was fun."

"It was fun, wasn't it," Maura agreed, placing a kiss on top of the little blonde's head. "Everyone is very happy about the adoption."

"Especially Angela," Amelia nodded. "I'm glad she's gonna be my Nonna. It will be fun to have two grandmas," she smiled sleepily, as a thought struck Maura.

"Well actually sweetheart, you don't just have two grandmas," Maura told her, deciding now was a better time than any to talk to her daughter; Amelia finally fully opening up her eyes. "You have 3 Grandmas."

"I do?" Amelia looked more awake, but confused.

"Yes Honey, you have Grandma Constance, Nonna and Hope," Maura replied. "You remember meeting Hope don't you?" She asked, Amelia nodding slowly. "Well Sweetheart I found out that Hope is my birth Mother. She gave birth to me just like I gave birth to you, except she was fairly young when she had me, which is why she wasn't able to take care of me. So Grandma Constance adopted me and became my Mother as well," she explained as best she could, continuing since Amelia appeared to be following along. "Hope and I have only just met but since she is my birth Mother that also makes her your Grandmother, and you know what? I think she would really like to get to know you."

"Okay Mommy," Amelia nodded, always agreeable as her Mother tucked her into her bed. "Our family has gotten pretty big, huh Mommy. It used to be just me and you and now we have a real big family!"

"We sure do," Maura smiled, deciding to get into bed next to her daughter, cuddling up close. "And it's a pretty great family don't you think?"

"I think so," Amelia nodded, laying her head against Maura's chest as she wrapped her arms around her. "I'm glad I still have you though Mommy."

"Oh Sweet Girl, you will always have me," Maura smiled, placing a kiss on the top of Amelia's head. " _Always._ "


	11. Time to Plan the Future

**Chapter 11- Time to Plan the Future**

"We have to pick a date Jane," Maura sighed in frustration, feeling like she had been having the same conversation with her fiancée every day for the last month. "We can't keep putting this off. We can't plan a wedding if we can't even choose a date."

"I know Maur," Jane ran her hand through her messy curls. "I told you that I would be fine with whatever you wanted to do. You want a summer wedding then let's get married this summer."

"You make it sound so simple," Maura huffed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "We can't just pick a date to get married this summer and expect to find a venue or caterers for that matter. These things take time Jane. I don't know that we could successfully plan a wedding on such short notice."

"Well I don't know then Maura," Jane did her best to remain calm, pouring some sugar into her coffee, simply wanting to enjoy her morning cup without having to discuss the wedding. "I don't really get why we have to…" she began, interrupted when both her and Maura's phones began to ring from where they sat on the counter. Grabbing the device, the detective tried not to smile as Maura glared while picking up her own phone. "Rizzoli."

"Isles," Maura answered, listening as dispatch informed her of where she was needed, watching as Jane simply nodded along on her own phone, both women hanging up at the same time. "Look like you've been saved once again," Maura glared at the brunette as if she had planned the murder they had been called to in order to avoid wedding planning.

"Looks like it," Jane shrugged, grabbing the car keys before pouring her coffee into a travel mug. "Guess we'll have to talk about this another time. I'll go get Ma."

"When this case is over we are planning this wedding Jane," Maura called even though Jane was already at the door, going to retrieve Angela so she could watch Amelia while they headed to work. "We can't keep putting this off!"

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Maura wasn't sure why Jane refused to plan the wedding with her but it was beginning to get on her nerves. While the Medical Examiner still felt sure that Jane wanted to marry her, she could not figure out why the brunette would not help her choose a date for their wedding. Maura was a planner and her fiancée was making it very difficult for her to get anything done.

Maura was doing her best to stay calm and not get frustrated with Jane but it was becoming increasingly difficult the longer they waited to set a date for the wedding, a thought, which was continually swimming around in the genius' head as they travelled to their current crime scene. It wasn't until they pulled up to the large house, the scene of their current crime, that Maura was able to put away her frustration, knowing she needed to focus on work.

"This is a pretty fancy neighbourhood," Jane said as they got out of the car, admiring the houses up and down the street. "Pretty high risk for a break and enter. They've got a community watch program and everything."

"Yes well I think we both know that murderers don't discriminate," Maura nodded, pulling on her gloves as they made their way into the house, following the sound of Korsak's voice into the family room where a woman who appeared to be in her forties, lay dead in front of the fireplace, blood pooled around her head.

"Looks like we got a pretty easy one for you Doc," Korsak said as soon as he noticed the couple. "Looks like whoever did this used the fire iron to hit her in the back of the head," he explained, pointing to the abandoned tool beside the woman.

"Well I will have to be sure there were no other factors in her death," Maura replied placing her bag on the ground as she knelt down next to the woman, immediately moving to take a look at the back of her head. "It does appear that she was hit more than once though. It's likely she was beaten with the iron. We'll need to test it for prints."

"We're on it, we just didn't want to move anything before you two got here," Frost nodded, gesturing for a crime scene tech to bag the fire iron.

"Who is she anyways?" Jane asked as she bent down next to Maura, keeping her distance, as she knew the blonde hated when she hovered too closely.

"Her name's Audrey Markus," Frost was the one to answer. "42 years old, appears to work at a day care. When she didn't show up for work one of her coworkers came looking for her and found her like this," he explained. "She has a 14 year old daughter who's currently staying with her father."

"Do we know what the relationship is like between Audrey and the ex?" Jane asked, looking around the room at the pictures displayed on the mantel, feeling incredibly sad for the teenager whose whole life was about to change.

"According to the coworker Audrey has a relatively amicable relationship with her ex-husband," Korsak replied. "They share custody of their daughter Samantha, who is with her father in New York for a two week visit. She was set to return at the end of the week," he explained. "We've talked to the father already. He sounded pretty distraught. They're on their way back to Boston."

"Well if he's cooperating it's not likely he had anything to do with this," Jane sighed. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"You always do," Maura stood up to full height, pulling off her gloves as she finished her initial examination. "I'm ready for transport. I'll start the autopsy as soon as she arrives. Will you be coming back with me Detective Rizzoli or are you staying?"

"I think I'll stick around here and see what else we can find," Jane replied. "I'll come down when I get back to the precinct?"

"Hopefully I'll have something for you," Maura smiled, giving the brunette a quick wink before making her exit, her hips swaying as her heels clicked against the hardwood floors, Jane unable to take her eyes off her.

"So we gonna do some work or are you just gonna keep staring at your fiancée's backside?" Frost broke Jane from her daze, laughing at the stunned look on the brunette's face.

"Hmm? Oh I…shut up," Jane rolled her eyes as Frost continued to laugh. "Let's just get to work."

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For Maura the wedding was always on her mind. Though she was focused when she was at work, she couldn't stop the thoughts of flowers and food that were constantly running through at the back of her mind.

"You know I really don't know why she is being so stubborn about picking a date," Maura leaned over Audrey Markus' body having just closed her back up, finished with the autopsy. "She's the one who asked me to get married. I thought that meant she actually wanted to you know…get married," she rambled, needing to voice her concerns, even if her audience couldn't exactly respond. "Generally when someone asks you to be married an actual wedding is implied and yet it seems like I shall remain engaged forever," she sighed, falling suddenly serious. "I'm sorry this happened to you. We're going to find out what happened for your little girl. I promise."

"Dr. Isles," Susie interrupted, standing nervously at the door. "We found something on the tox report you might want to see," she explained, handing the results to Maura.

"Well that's certainly interesting," Maura sounded surprised as she read the paper Susie handed her. "I better let Jane know," she said, grabbing her phone and sending the Detective a text, asking her to come down to the morgue.

Knowing Jane was likely waiting for something to help them solve the case, Maura knew the brunette would be quick, only waiting a few minutes before the familiar sound of her fiancée's boots filled the hallway.

"What do you got for me Maur?" Jane asked as soon as she flung open the morgue door. "Please tell me it's something, because I'm currently combing through every bit of that woman's life and I'm coming up with nothing. I really want to be able to tell her kid we're going to find who did this to her Mother."

"Well I'm not sure it's going to help find who did this, but I did find something interesting," Maura told her. "It appears Audrey had Rohypnol in her system," she handed Jane the results that Susie had given her.

"Roofies?" Jane sounded surprised, scanning the paper, even though she wasn't really reading it. "So someone drugged her."

"It would appear so," Maura nodded. "Do you have any idea where she was last night? Or who she was with for that matter?"

"According to her friend from work she was supposed to go on a date," Jane replied, biting her lip, obviously thinking hard. "Some guy she met on one of those dating apps or whatever," she looked perplexed. "Frost's up there trying to figure it out. Looks like that could be our best suspect now though."

"I would have to agree with you on that one," Maura moved closer to the brunette, reaching out and taking her hand, needing the moment of contact even though they were at work. "When does her ex husband and daughter arrive?"

"They should be here any time now," Jane sighed. "I always hate this part. It's always so much harder with kids."

"Well that's to be expected," Maura agreed. "We'll find out who did this though," she gave a reassuring smile. "For Samantha."

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Samantha reminded Jane of Amelia. At first the brunette couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but as the teenager walked into the interview room with her father, Jane couldn't help but think of her own daughter. It wasn't until halfway through the interview, that Jane realized it was the eyes; Samantha's brown eyes shining with tears as she spoke about her Mother. Those eyes held an innocence that Jane often saw in Amelia's eyes, and it left Jane wanting to catch Audrey's killer even more than she already did.

"How did it go?" Maura called as she approached Jane's desk in the bullpen, interrupting the brunette who had been struggling since she had left the interview. "Did Samantha or her father tell you anything useful?"

"Not at all," Jane sighed, shaking her head before covering her face with her hands. "It was awful Maur," she kept her voice low. "That poor kid. She was completely heartbroken. She kept saying how she didn't even get to say goodbye. She's only 14. It's just not fair."

Seeing how broken up her fiancée obviously was, Maura reached out for the brunette's hand, ignoring the fact that they were at work for a moment. "Jane," she practically whispered. "Murder is never fair. What the families of the victims have to go through is never fair," she rubbed her thumb over the back of Jane's hand. "That's why we find the answers for them; why we make sure we bring the killers to justice."

"But we can't give her what she really needs," Jane looked up with a heartbreaking look on her face, grateful for the fact that Korsak and Frost weren't around. "We can't bring her Mom back."

"You know, you don't usually let yourself get so worked up about a case like this," Maura could see that Jane was truly struggling. "What's going on? What's really bothering you?"

"I…I don't know," Jane shrugged sadly, not quite sure why exactly she was taking the case so hard; so drastically different than she normally would. "Maybe I'm just…I don't know. Maybe I'm just seeing things differently now," she struggled to explain. "I talk to kids all the time but I'm…it's…I…"

"You're a mother now," Maura finally caught on, filling in the blank for her with a small smile. "It's harder seeing their pain, even when they're not your children. It affects you differently. I understand," she nodded. "It's okay to care Jane."

"I just wish there was more we could do," Jane sighed. "Finding who did this to her Mother just doesn't seem like enough Maur."

"I know," Maura nodded, squeezing Jane's hand. "But it's a start," she ran her hand through dark curls. "Are you at least finished for the day?"

"I want to stay. I need to…" Jane shook her head, cut off by Maura who placed a finger over her lips.

"You need to go home," Maura told her. "There's nothing else you can do today, and you need to get your head on straight. Come home with me," she continued. "Come home. I know just what you need."

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"Mommy! Mama!" Amelia came barreling towards the front door as soon as Maura called out for her. "You're home!" She launched herself at Jane who had bent down to greet her; grateful when small arms wrapped themselves around her neck. "Hi Mama," she nuzzled her face into Jane's neck.

"Hi there Baby Girl," Jane smiled, standing up with the little blonde in her arms who immediately wrapped her legs around her Mama's waist. "Did you have a good day at school today?"

"It was good," Amelia nodded, leaning back so she could look at the brunette better, placing a hand on Jane's cheek. "Can we play before dinner? I want you to help me build a house with my Legos."

"You bet we can," Jane replied with a big grin, unable to think of anything she would rather do. "Go get everything ready in the family room. I'll be right there."

Kissing the top of Amelia's head before placing her back down on the ground, Jane watched as the six year old ran towards the stairs, turning back to Maura who watched the interaction with a smile on her face. "Do you always know exactly what I need?"

"Most of the time yes," Maura laughed as Jane pulled her into her arms. "Now go play with our daughter. I'll help your Mother in the kitchen."

Not needing to be told twice, Jane locked her gun and badge away before rushing off to play with Amelia, wanting to soak in every minute with the little girl, whom she knew would be able to take her mind off of everything else.

Listening as Amelia rambled on about her day, Jane sat building a house out of Legos, the six year old occasionally helping and giving her opinion about she wanted. Watching and listening to the little girl, Jane couldn't help but feel lucky to get to be in her life, grateful for the fact that Amelia was a part of her life and that she was such a happy kid.

"Mama?" Amelia eventually interrupted Jane's inner musings, crinkling her brow with worry. "You look sad," she tilted her head to the side, impressing Jane with the fact that she could read her so well at such a young age. "You okay Mama?" She asked seriously.

"You are just like your Mommy," Jane couldn't help but chuckle, leaning in to place a kiss on Amelia's nose. "I'm okay Baby. I was just thinking about work. I'm sorry," she ran her hand over blonde hair. "I just met a girl today and she was very sad and it's making me a little sad too."

"If she was sad you should help her feel better Mama," Amelia replied, moving to sit on the brunette's lap. "You and Mommy always make me feel better when I'm sad. You could make the girl happy," she said, resting her head against Jane's chest as if she knew it was exactly what her Mother needed. "Don't be sad Mama, you'll make her better."

"Thanks Bug," Jane kissed the top of Amelia's head as she wrapped her arms around the little blonde. "You know, you always make me feel better when I'm sad too. You and your Mommy always know exactly what I need."

"Mommy is very smart," Amelia nodded, making Jane laugh. "Mommy told me that my hugs always make her feel better. I will always make you feel better too Mama."

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It wasn't until later that night, after a wonderful dinner and bedtime routines with Amelia, that Maura allowed her worries from the morning begin to take over her thoughts again. When they had gotten home, and for the rest of the evening the Medical Examiner had been focused on Jane and helping her heal, but once they were alone in their room, getting ready for bed the honey-blonde could no longer keep her fears to herself.

"Why won't you talk to me about the wedding?" Maura finally blurted out, surprising Jane who froze in the middle of pulling a T-shirt over her head. "We can't plan a wedding if we don't pick a date, but you refuse to give me any sort of indication as to when you would actually like to marry me," she continued as Jane's head reappeared through her shirt. "I don't understand it Jane and to be honest it's starting to worry me. Should I be worried? Are you having second thoughts? Do you not want to marry me anymore?"

"What? Maura! No!" Jane was quick to reply, scrambling across the bed and kneeling up in front of Maura, grabbing both her hands as she pulled her closer. "Of course I still want to marry you Maur! Of course I do."

"Then why haven't we set a date?" Maura asked again, her eyes full of sadness and worry. "Why don't you even seem to care?"

"I do care," Jane sighed, suddenly filled with guilt. "I care Maura, I really do, it's just that…" she thought about the best way to explain herself. "Remember when we talked about our wedding dreams?" She asked, Maura immediately nodding. "Our dreams were worlds apart, and I know that doesn't matter to either one of us, but I guess I'm having a harder time with this whole wedding idea than I thought I would. I want to marry you Maura. I want you to be my wife and I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life, but all this talk about this big wedding…this big event…it just…I don't want that Maur," she admitted shamefully, her eyes downcast. "I love you and I would do anything for you, I really would. I will go through with the whole big ordeal if that's what you want but I just…it's not what I want."

"Well then what do you want?" Maura asked, her voice small.

"Something small," Jane looked up, hating the fact that Maura still looked so sad. "To be honest I would be happy with just family and close friends. We could go to city hall or I don't know we could have the wedding here in the yard," she shrugged. "I just don't need all that other stuff. I just need you and Mia."

"So why didn't you just tell me this before Jane?" Maura shook her head, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice. "We've been talking about the wedding for months. I have been sending you ideas and plans for months and you never said a word. Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to see you looking like you look right now," Jane replied, running a hand over the blonde's cheek. "Because I want to give you your dream and I was afraid," she admitted. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to marry me anymore so I just figured I don't know…I guess I just figured I would just suck it up."

"Jane…" Maura sighed, interrupted when Jane's phone began to ring from where it was sitting on the nightstand, Frost's face lighting up the screen.

Unable to ignore it, Jane immediately grabbed the object, trying not to sound too annoyed as she answered. "Rizzoli," she listened to her partner's voice on the other end of the phone. "What? What do you mean? How did this…I'll be right there." She quickly hung up, immediately moving to once again change back into her work clothes.

"Jane what is it?" Maura was worried, following Jane across the room.

"Audrey Markus' ex-husband was just attacked at his hotel," Jane replied, pulling on a pair of slacks. "Samantha is missing."


	12. Find Her

**Decided to update this before my other story since I left it on a bit of a cliffhanger! I really love this little universe I've created!**

 **I've started watching Rizzoli and Isles over again and it's really starting to inspire me! It's just so good! Thanks so much for reading! -J**

 **Brought Together By Fate – Part 2**

 **Chapter 12- Find Her**

Jane wasn't really sure how she got to the hotel where Samantha Markus and her father had been staying. She remembered telling Maura what had happened and urging her to stay home with Amelia before rushing to the car; driving in a state of shock until she looked up and realized she had arrived at her destination.

Finding a place to park, Jane ran inside, taking the stairs in order to get to the room number she had been given, immediately finding Frost waiting for her in the hallway.

"What the hell happened?" Jane was almost out of breath, knowing she probably sounded panicked, but not caring at the moment.

"Nathan said he and Samantha had ordered room service. There was a knock at the door so he went to answer," Frost explained. "I guess he didn't think to check the peephole. He was hit over the head and knocked unconscious. By the time he came to Samantha was gone."

"Did he see who did this? Does he remember anything?" Jane asked. "There must be cameras around here somewhere," she began looking up and down the hallway.

"Whoa, whoa slow down," Frost put up a hand trying to calm his partner down. "Nathan didn't get a look at the guy. I mean he's still pretty groggy and his memory probably isn't great but he's pretty sure whoever did this was wearing a mask," he told her. "As for the cameras the one in this hallway is busted," he rolled his eyes. "The guy was obviously pretty aware of where all the cameras were though because he managed to avoid looking into any of them. He took Samantha down the stairs and out the lobby without raising any flags and we don't have a single image of his face."

"But we're sure it was a man?" Jane had to ask.

"From the images we do have off the cameras? Absolutely," Frost nodded.

"Where are we on this blind date Audrey was going on then?" Jane questioned, knowing Audrey's date was really the only lead they had considering whoever she was with was the last person to see her alive. "Do we know who this guy was?"

"I don't have anything yet but I should be able to get her phone records," Frost replied. "I'm assuming she was at least texting this guy."

"Alright let's…let's go then. Let's go do that," Jane felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest, adrenalin coursing through her. "We need to find this guy. We…we need to find Samantha."

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When Maura woke the next morning she wasn't surprised to find that Jane still hadn't returned, understanding that Jane would remain at work until Samantha Markus was found. Wanting to get to work early in order to see what she could do to help, the Medical Examiner decided to get Amelia up and ready for school a little early, knowing Angela would take the 6 year old to school for her.

"Mommy where's Mama?" Amelia asked as she ate a bowl of oatmeal at the kitchen island, her short legs swinging back and forth as she sat on the stool. "How come she's not here? Is she sleeping?"

"No honey, Mama's at work already," Maura replied, taking a sip of her coffee. "She had to leave very early so she couldn't come say goodbye to you," she explained.

"Did Mama go so she could make that girl feel better?" Amelia asked, remembering what her Mother had told her the night before while they were playing.

"Sort of," Maura nodded, not wanting to explain any further since Amelia was obviously too young to understand what had happened to make Jane return to work in the middle of the night. "I need to get to work soon so I can help Mama and Uncle Frost and Uncle Korsak, so I'm going to have Nonna drive you to school today. Is that okay?"

"Okay Mommy," Amelia nodded, grabbing a piece of the apple Maura placed beside her bowl. "Mommy, Mama saves people at work right?" She then asked, looking up at Maura with wide, curious eyes.

"Yes Sweetheart, Mama saves lots of people at work," Maura replied, moving around the island and taking a seat next to her daughter, deciding to enjoy a few minutes with the little blonde. "Mama makes the city safer when she goes to work."

Nodding, Amelia seemed to consider this for a moment, biting her lip before turning her attention back to her Mother. "Do you save people too Mommy?" She asked, not really knowing exactly what Maura did at work. "You save people because you're a doctor. Right Mommy?"

"Oh uh…" Maura could feel her face turning red, not entirely sure how to explain her job to the young girl, but also unable to lie. "Well Honey I'm not really that kind of doctor. I'm not the type of doctor you go to see when you're sick or hurt."

"What kind of doctor are you then?" Amelia was now curious, her attention focused solely on her Mother, asking questions like she always did when she learned something new, always trying to get more information.

"Well I'm the kind of doctor who helps Detectives like Mama and your uncles find the people who hurt other people," Maura did her best to explain without bringing up murder. "I use my medical knowledge to help Mama solve her cases."

"So you do save people too then Mommy," Amelia grinned, looking proud of herself for understanding. "If you help Mama save people then you save them too!" She beamed, obviously pleased with this new understanding. "You and Mama are heroes! Right Mommy?"

"Hmmm…y-yes I guess we are," Maura smiled, happy to see the pride on her daughter's face, and proud that the little girl seemed to understand so much.

"You should go help Mama make that girl happy again, Mommy," Amelia reached out for a hug. "You and Mama make everything better. She needs you."

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"Jane I found him," Frost came rushing into the bullpen, finding his partner sitting at her desk nursing a cup of coffee. "I found the guy Audrey was meeting the other night. According to her contacts he's listed as Greg, no last name," he explained, watching as Jane perked up, ready to step into action, knowing Samantha's time could be limited. "I've been combing through the messages they exchanged. Mostly it's a bunch of small talk, little bit of flirting before they finally agreed to meet."

"Do we have anything other than his phone number?" Jane asked. "Is there an address or anything useful in the messages? We need to find this guy and somehow I don't think calling him is the best idea."

"No address," Frost shook his head in disappointment. "But they met at a coffee shop a few blocks from here," he told her. "I thought we could check it out. They could have security cameras."

"Sounds like the best plan we've got," Jane nodded, standing up and grabbing the blazer off the back of her chair, just pulling it on as Maura appeared off the elevator.

"Jane!" The Medical Examiner called, looking exquisite despite the fact that she had rushed in. "Have you found her?"

"No," Jane sighed, allowing Maura to pull her into a hug since the bullpen was still pretty empty. "We're just about to go track down a lead though. Is my Ma bringing Mia to school?" She asked, noting it was still too early for Maura to have dropped the 6 year old off before coming in.

"Yes I wanted to come in and see if there was anything I could do," Maura explained. "Please tell me there's something I can do. I want to help."

"Well it's not your typical work, but we need someone to comb through Audrey's life; see if there's anything there," Jane replied. "Korsak's talking to Samantha's father at the moment. All the files are on my desk. Do you think you can go through them? See if you can spot anything that can help us?"

"Whatever you need," Maura nodded, grabbing Jane's hand and giving it a squeeze. "Be safe," she said, keeping her voice low.

"Always," Jane smiled; grateful for the fact that Maura wasn't holding the conversation they had the previous night against her, placing a kiss on the blonde's forehead. "I'll see you soon."

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If Jane was being honest, as she and Frost headed to the café, she really thought they were following a long shot. As much as she wanted to believe they were going to find something useful, the brunette couldn't help feeling like they didn't stand a chance at finding Audrey's date, and yet luck seemed to be on their side.

After combing through the café's security footage, the Detectives eventually found a clear picture of Audrey and her date, sending the footage back to the precinct and using facial recognition to find that the man was 45-year-old Greg Kirkland. Getting Greg's address the pair headed straight there, desperate to find Samantha.

"This guy isn't going to have Samantha," Frost said as they approached the man's house, feeling the need to voice the obvious. "If this was our guy he never would have let us get an image of him on those cameras. Whoever took Samantha was very aware of the cameras at the hotel; that took planning. This would be too sloppy for him. You know that right?"

"I know," Jane sighed, hating the fact that Frost was right, but knowing it was true. "Let's just…let's get in there and see what he knows. I don't know," she shook her head with a shrug. "Maybe Audrey told him _something_ useful. Come on," she said, getting out of the car and waiting for Frost to follow, the pair approaching the door and giving it a firm knock.

It was only a few minutes before the man from the security footage answered the door, rubbing his eyes tiredly and freezing when he noticed the badges Jane and Frost were holding up.

"Greg Kirkland?" Jane asked.

"Y-yes…." Greg was hesitant, obviously confused. "What's…what's going on? What is this?"

"We're Detectives Rizzoli and Frost," Frost replied, pointing to Jane and then himself. "Boston Homicide. We have a few questions."

"Boston Homicide?" Greg repeated, sounding shocked. "Why would you need to talk to me? What's going on?"

"Do you know this woman?" Jane asked holding up a picture of Audrey, the same picture the woman had used on her dating profile.

"Yes…yes that's Audrey," Greg nodded nervously, not liking where this was headed. "I…I went on a date with her the night before last," he admitted, a fact, which told Jane that this man wasn't holding Samantha Markus. "Is she okay? Did something happen to her?"

"Audrey was found dead in her home early yesterday morning," Jane told the man, watching as he grabbed the doorway for support, his features displaying just how stunned he was by this information. "And it seems to us like you're the last person who saw her alive."

"I…I didn't kill her," Greg shook his head. "I swear, when I left her at the coffee shop she was very much alive. I didn't have anything to do with this."

"I know," Jane nodded. "But since you're the last person who spoke to Audrey we could really use your help," she told him, wanting to get inside the house just to be absolutely sure her instincts weren't wrong. "Would it be alright if we came inside and asked you a few questions?"

"Yes of course," Greg replied, stepping aside to allow the Detectives inside just as Jane's phone began to ring.

Checking her caller-id Jane saw Maura's face lighting up her screen, knowing the blonde wouldn't call unless it was important. "It's Dr. Isles," she told Frost. "I just need to take this. I'll be right with you," she said, moving back out onto the front porch as she answered the call. "Hey Maur. Did you find something?"

"Yes," Maura sounded frantic, obviously having something important. "I found something that changes everything," she told her. "Jane, Nathan Markus isn't Samantha's biological father."

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"Maur!" Jane practically burst off the elevator later that morning, having spent the last hour listening to everything Greg Kirkland knew about Audrey, with Maura's revelation in the back of her head. "Did you find anything else? Show me what you found," she rushed to her desk where the Medical Examiner was still working, now with Korsak by her side.

"Everything is in this file here," Maura replied, handing the document to Jane, who immediately began flipping through it. "Audrey kept everything hidden in the midst of her other information, but there's a document there listing another man as Samantha's biological father."

"We did a search but we haven't found a local address," Korsak added. "Think you could take a look Frost? You're better at this than I am." He asked, the other Detective immediately nodding, grabbing the information he needed before moving to his own desk. "I talked to Nathan. He didn't have any idea about any of this. He's taking it pretty hard."

"How is that possible?" Jane didn't understand. "How could Audrey possibly keep this from him for the last 14 years."

"According to Nathan Audrey got pregnant extremely early into their relationship," Korsak explained. "They were each other's rebounds or something along those lines. Nathan said when he found out about the baby he decided to stick around. They eventually fell in love and got married but that didn't exactly work out for them either."

"So Audrey was already pregnant when she met Nathan then?" Jane asked, turning to Maura who had been reading through the victim's journals.

"She was in an abusive relationship with a Daniel Bowan before she met Nathan," Maura nodded. "According to this she found out she was pregnant just after she managed to leave Daniel," she handed the journal to Jane. "She never told him about Samantha."

"But Audrey put herself on a dating website," things were starting to make sense to Jane. "Daniel could have seen her on there and found out about her daughter, so he shows up at Audrey's house, gets her to let him in," she tried to guess. "Could have convinced Audrey that he wanted to make amends and somehow manages to drug her."

"It's definitely possible," Korsak nodded, knowing Jane's gut instincts were usually right.

"I've got it!" Frost suddenly interrupted, jumping from his chair. "I've got an address!"

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Jane Rizzoli had good gut instincts; there was no arguing that. The Detective usually knew whether a lead was good within the first few minutes, it was something she could just feel in her bones. So when they approached Daniel Bowan's house and Jane felt sure that Samantha would be there, Frost and Korsak didn't doubt her for a second.

Needing the element of surprise, the trio, along with their backup surrounded the house; Jane and Frost leading a team to the back of the house while Korsak covered the front with another team. Jane was the first to hear the signs of a struggle inside, not even bothering to count down before she signaled for Frost to get the door; storming inside to find Daniel holding a gun to Samantha Markus' head.

"Don't come any closer!" Daniel yelled, his hand shaking. "If you come any closer I'll shoot her," he shouted as tears ran down Samantha's face.

"You don't want to do that Daniel," Jane kept her voice calm even though all she felt was panicked. "You don't want to hurt her and we're not here to hurt you. We just came for Samantha. We just want to take her home."

"This is her home now," Daniel shook his head. "She's my daughter. I'm her father. This is her home. She should be with me."

"Is that why you killed Audrey? Because you wanted Samantha to be with you?" Jane asked, seeing Korsak out of the corner of her eye, keeping Daniel's attention on her. "You killed Audrey because she never told you about Samantha?"

"She should have told me. I had a right to know," Daniel was agitated. "If you have a kid with a guy you should at least tell him. She just ran off and never even told me I had a daughter. That's not right."

"I know it's not," Jane agreed. "But I think you know why Audrey had to leave you Daniel. You didn't leave her much choice," she said, despite the fact that it might anger the man. "She had to protect Samantha and it was the only way she knew how. Samantha has a father Daniel. You need to let her go home to her father. Don't hurt her more than you already have."

"That man is not her father!" Daniel yelled, his face red with anger. "She's not going back to him!"

"Actually I think she is," Korsak pressed his gun against the back of Daniel's head having managed to approach without alerting the man. "I suggest you let the girl go and put the gun down."

Left with no other choice, Daniel released the teen who immediately ran into Jane's arms, collapsing as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Shh shhh it's okay," Jane kissed the side of the girl's head, rubbing her hand up and down her back in comfort. "You're okay. It's over now. You're okay."

"He…he said…he's my…" Samantha struggled to speak.

"He's not," Jane shook her head, understanding. "Your father is waiting for you at the station. I'm going to bring you to him. It'll be okay."

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By the time Jane got home that night, after getting a full confession from Daniel, she was exhausted. Amelia, as if sensing this, was extra well behaved, cuddling with Jane on the couch until bedtime.

It wasn't until Jane and Maura had retreated to their bedroom, that Jane finally wrapped her arms around Maura, kissing the rather confused Doctor on the head as she held her close.

"I want to marry you Maura," Jane's voice was low, but emotional, tucking Maura's head beneath her chin. "I love you so much and I don't want you to ever doubt how much I want to marry you because it's all I want; it's all I think about," she continued. "I would marry you tomorrow if I could, but I know you have bigger dreams then that."

"Jane…" Maura tried to interrupt, the brunette immediately shushing her, wanting to finish.

"I would do anything for you Maur…anything," Jane told her. "If you want a big wedding then we'll have a big wedding. We can pick a date right now if you want and we can find a venue that will work, I mean I'm willing to bet your Mother could pull some strings."

"But you want to get married in the yard," Maura pulled back so she could see Jane's face. "You would be happier getting married here; with just our friends and family."

"I thought it would be nice," Jane shrugged. "We could wait for later in the spring, once the flowers really bloom," she said, sounding a little nervous now. "I know it's not fancy but it could be really nice and it would be intimate."

"A spring wedding sounds nice," Maura replied, watching as Jane's eyes quickly flicked to hers, obviously surprised. "I don't need fancy Jane," she smiled, kissing the brunette's nose. "And I don't want to wait any longer to marry you either. So let's do it. Let's plan our wedding your way."

"Really?" Jane had to ask. "You'd really be happy with that?"

"As long as you're there," Maura grinned. "I'll be the happiest woman in the world."


	13. Just 2 More Months

**Chapter 13- Just 2 More Months**

"Okay so we're saying we're going to get married in two months," Jane looked at the calendar Maura had placed in front of her, which outlined what the couple needed to do before their wedding. "You really think it's possible? I mean this looks like a lot of stuff to do before that."

"It won't be easy but if we stick to my schedule I don't see any reason we can't be ready in two months," Maura replied matter of factly. "We've already created a rather manageable guest list, which means we could have the invitations sent out by the end of the week. Your Mother has already planted several different flowers in the garden and they should be blooming by the wedding date so that's already covered as well," she continued. "I know a few caterers we could use so your Mother doesn't feel like she has to cook and I've already asked Korsak if he would officiate."

"I can't believe they just let anyone perform weddings," Jane took a drink of the beer Maura had gotten her. "I mean it's cool and all but isn't it kind of a big deal? Korsak can just fill out some questions online and boom he can marry us?"

"Yes well I suppose it has to do with the growing number of couples who are choosing to marry outside of the church," Maura replied, still browsing through the bridal magazine she had picked up on their way home from work. "Plus I like the idea of Korsak being the one to marry us. Feels more intimate."

"That's true," Jane nodded her agreement. "Oh I meant to tell you, I asked my brothers to stand up with me…be my best men or whatever," she shrugged. "I know they're not exactly bridesmaids but they're my best friends. They seemed really pleased when I asked though."

"That's wonderful Jane," Maura smiled, looking up from her magazine. "I'm sure it meant a great deal to them."

"Have you thought about who you wanna ask?" Jane then asked, unsure if there were some family members or friends that Maura would want to act as her bridesmaids.

"Oh well…" Maura's cheeks began to turn red, obviously embarrassed. "I'm not really sure," she admitted. "I don't exactly have a lot of friends. I mean you're my best friend and I can't exactly ask you and Amelia is already looking forward to being a flower girl," she began to smooth out the invisible wrinkles on her skirt. "I'm not really sure there's anyone I could ask."

"Aw come on Maur you've got plenty of friends," Jane reached out and took the blonde's hand. "My whole family loves you and so does everyone at work. What about Susie? You two have always seemed close."

"I had considered Susie," Maura nodded. "And well…there was someone else I had thought about, but I'm not sure they would say yes," she suddenly sounded like a nervous child.

"Well you're never going to know until you ask," Jane pointed out, watching her fiancée curiously as she tried to guess who the genius would be nervous to ask, suspecting Cailin. "Who is it you were thinking of asking?"

"Well I know technically he's your partner and your friend, but Barry has been incredibly kind to Amelia and I since we moved here," Maura replied, still looking embarrassed. "He has been a good friend to me."

"Aw Maur why aren't you sure he'd say yes?" Jane was slightly surprised, though she shouldn't have been as it made a lot of sense. "Frost loves you. I bet he'd love to stand up there with you! Ask him!"

"Really?" Maura sounded a little like she didn't believe her. "You really think so?"

"I do," Jane nodded, a big grin on her face. "I really think you should ask him," she said as she turned her attention back to the calendar. "Now come on, it looks like we've got some deadlines to meet this week. Let's get to work."

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Though they had hoped to enjoy a breakfast with Amelia the next morning, Jane and Maura were called in on a case before the sun was even up, Jane whining as she pulled herself out of bed while Maura simply got up and ready as if she had been awake for hours. Since it was too early to get Amelia up, both women had gone in and given her a kiss before Jane went to the guesthouse to get her Mother, who immediately began to prepare breakfast for when the six-year-old was up.

"Man whatever this is it better be good," Jane groaned as the pulled up to the crime scene, finding themselves at a taped off alley surrounded by officers. "I hate when we get called out of bed. I just wanted 30 more minutes."

"Murder is hardly ever _good_ Jane," Maura told her, grabbing her medical bag as they both got out of the car, heading towards the body. "And unfortunately murderers rarely respect our sleep," she pointed out unnecessarily. "And besides you fell asleep before 10 last night. You almost got 8 hours."

"Yeah well I need more," Jane replied rather grumpily just as Frost and Korsak arrived. "Bout time you two showed up," she said, gratefully accepting the coffee Korsak handed her.

"What do we got?" Frost was the one to ask, looking like he could have used a few more hours of sleep himself.

"Single gun shot wound to the chest," Maura replied from where she knelt beside the body, examining the chest. "He can't have been dead more than a couple hours."

"Do we know who found him?" Korsak asked, as Jane knelt down next to Maura, noting that their victim appeared to be in his late thirties.

"Haven't had the chance to talk to the uniforms yet," Jane shook her head.

"I got it," Frost nodded, heading to talk to the cops that were still gathered around their scene.

"This place is pretty secluded," Jane pointed out, looking around. "What would this guy be doing out here on his own in the middle of the night?"

"There's a parking lot just through there," Korsak pointed out. "Maybe he was just cutting through. Got an I.D. on him?"

Checking the man's pockets, Jane pulled out a wallet and opened it up to find a driver's license. "Name's Aiden James. 37 years old," she said, flipping through the wallet. "Looks like he's got a wife," she found a picture of a pretty blonde woman, flipping to the next photo to find a picture of 3 young children. "And kids," she couldn't help the sadness she immediately felt.

"According to the uniforms a group of college kids found him and called it in," Frost explained as she returned to the group. "Apparently it's pretty common for people to cut through here, though it seems pretty risky at night. Think someone followed him in?"

"It's possible, or they could have led him in here," Jane shrugged. "They didn't take his wallet though so it obviously wasn't a robbery gone bad," she sighed. "I don't understand what this guy was doing out here by himself last night. He's got three kids and a wife at home. Seems kind of weird."

"We're gonna have to talk to the wife," Korsak nodded, agreeing with what Jane was saying. "You two care to take a trip?" He said, looking from Jane to Frost.

"Sure thing," Frost immediately agreed as Jane stood back up, ready to go even though she dreaded having to deliver the terrible news to the man's family. "We'll meet you back at the precinct."

"I'll come down for the autopsy as soon as I'm back Dr. Isles," Jane told her fiancée.

"I'll see you then Detective," Maura smiled as Jane began to walk away. "Oh and Jane," she called her back, lowering her voice once the brunette was close enough. "About what we talked about last night…"

"I won't say a word Maur," Jane assured her with a wink. "That one's all yours."

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"Barry, I was hoping that you would…Barry as you know, Jane and I have been planning our wedding and….I was wondering if you…" Maura spoke aloud to herself as she began to prep for Aidan James' autopsy, struggling to find the right words to ask Frost about being in her wedding party. "Barold, I'd like to ask you…"

"Maura what are you doing?" Jane stood in the doorway, having opened the door without the Medical Examiner hearing.

"Oh Jane," Maura placed her hand over her heart, obviously startled as she turned to find the brunette with an amused expression on her face. "I was just…well I was…oh shut up," she huffed, her face turning red as Jane chuckled quietly.

"Maura you are freaking yourself out for no reason," Jane told her, her expression serious, placing her hands on the doctor's hips, but keeping her distance. "You just gotta ask him Maur. It's Frost. You don't need to be nervous. You _shouldn't_ be nervous."

"You don't understand," Maura shook her head, attempting to look away from Jane, who simply tightened her grip on Maura's hips.

"Help me understand then," Jane said, hating the sadness that was written all over her fiancee's face. "Explain it to me."

"I'm not like you Jane," Maura began, her eyes shining with tears. "I didn't grow up with many friends…I'm not really sure I even had any real friends. I've always been so used to doing things on my own…to only relying on myself," she sighed. "But then you came around and everything changed. You became my friend so easily and everyone around you just accepted me, but it's still difficult for me to really accept," she looked down between her and Jane in order to avoid the brown eyes staring back at her. "Sometimes I'm just afraid that maybe I'm just misunderstanding all of it like I used to."

"Maura," Jane felt like her heart might break for the woman in front of her. "Look at me," she lifted the blonde's chin with her finger. "You are not misunderstanding anything okay? My family loves you. Korsak and Frost love you. They are all your family and your friends and they all want you in their lives. I know you're not used to having friends like all of us…which if you ask me is pretty ridiculous because you're amazing and I can't understand how anyone wouldn't want to be your friend…but you need to get used to it Maur because frankly we're not going anywhere."

"Well I would hope not," Maura finally cracked a very small smile. "Especially you," she said, reaching out and giving Jane's hand a tight squeeze before stepping away, remembering they were still at work. "I know I shouldn't be nervous but it's difficult for me. Asking Susie is easy; we understand each other, but with Barry…well I'm not quite sure I understand him as well."

"You do," Jane gave her a reassuring smile. "I know you do."

"Thank you," Maura couldn't help but smile as well, before her attention was brought back to Aidan James, who was still lying on her autopsy table. "How did it go at the James house?"

"About as good as you could expect," Jane shrugged, sadness still evident in her eyes. "His wife was…well she was pretty devastated and the kids," she shook her head. "God Maur they're so young. They didn't really know what was going on. It was awful. We need to find who did this. I gotta…I need to do this for them…for those kids."

"Well then we better get to work," Maura nodded, pulling on her gloves as Jane did the same. "We've got a killer to find."

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It wasn't until later, when their shooter was found, that Maura even allowed herself to think about Frost and what she wanted to ask him. Having already spoken to Susie about being a bridesmaid, the M.E. decided she needed to talk to Frost, inviting him over to have dinner with her and Jane to celebrate the end of their case.

Knowing Frost's favourite meal was burgers, Maura decided to prepare homemade burgers, much to Jane's surprise.

"How come you're making burgers for Frost?" Jane was practically whining as she sat at the island, watching Maura prepare dinner. "You never make burgers for me!"

"I'm making burgers for you right now Jane," Maura rolled her eyes. "You are invited to dinner remember?"

"Yeah but it's not about me," Jane crossed her arms over her chest in a pout. "You like Frost better than you like me. I knew it."

"Sometimes you are such a child," Maura laughed just as the doorbell rang.

"Uncle Frostie!" Amelia yelled from the family room as she took off towards the front door.

"Ask who it is before you answer that door," Jane called out, reminding the little girl of the rules, listening as Amelia confirmed that it was indeed 'Uncle Frostie' on the other side of the door.

"There she is!" Frost's voice boomed through the house as soon as she came inside, lifting a giggling Amelia up into the air. "How are you doing little lady?"

"I missed you Uncle Frostie!" Amelia wrapped her arms around Frost's neck as he made his way towards the kitchen where both Jane and Maura had smiles on their faces.

"I missed you too kiddo," Frost placed Amelia down on one of the stools. "And look at this, I brought you something," he said pulling something silver out of his back pocket. "I found it in some of my old stuff from when I was a kid," he explained. "I thought you might like it."

"Wow," Amelia immediately exclaimed as Frost handed her the object. "What is it Uncle Frostie?"

"It's a little box see," Frost replied, opening it up to show the little blonde. "I used to keep all my little treasures in here; all the stuff I used to find when I was out exploring. I thought you might like to do the same."

"Cool! Thank you!" Amelia grinned, throwing her arms around Frost's neck for another hug. "Mommy, Mama look!"

"I see Baby that's really cool," Jane smiled, giving Frost a wink.

"That was very nice Barry, thank you," Maura added as she flipped one of the burgers over. "I hope you're hungry. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"I'm starving and those smell great Doc," Frost replied. "Though I'm a little surprised we're having burgers! Did you know they're my favourite?"

"Jane may have mentioned it," Maura nodded, giving Jane a pointed look, subtly gesturing towards Amelia.

"Hey Mia let's go get washed up for dinner okay?" Jane suggested, understanding that Maura wanted a moment alone with Frost. "And we'll put that box up in your room where it'll be safe."

Nodding, Amelia hopped off her stool, reaching out for Jane's hand and allowing the brunette to lead her towards the stairs.

"Is there anything I can do to help Maura?" Frost asked once the other two were gone. "I feel bad just sitting here."

"Oh don't be silly, you're our guest," Maura smiled. "Plus I'm almost finished here. You can grab yourself a beer if you like though. There's plenty in the fridge."

"Thanks," Frost grinned, immediately making his way over to the fridge and grabbing himself a drink. "Can I pour you a glass of wine?" He asked.

"Actually I think I'll have a beer tonight," Maura replied, surprising the Detective.

"Wow Doc, I didn't know you liked beer. Is that Jane's doing?" Frost laughed.

"It is, though I don't indulge very often," Maura shrugged. "I think I'd enjoy one with my burger," she said as she began platting dinner. "Barry there's actually something I'd like to ask you," she took a deep breath, steadying her nerves as Frost returned to his seat in front of her, opening up one of the beer bottles for her. "I actually asked you here tonight because…well…you see Jane and I…"

"Maura," Frost reached out and placed a hand over the obviously nervous Doctor's hand. "Whatever it is, just ask," he said, giving Maura his classic 'Frost' grin. "You can ask me anything."

Smiling, Maura nodded, realizing Frost was right. "I'm sorry," she laughed at herself. "I shouldn't be nervous…I…I'm actually quite excited about it, it's just…Jane and I have been discussing the wedding quite a bit," she finally got to the point. "And well I was hoping that you would be in the wedding…with me. I would like you to stand up with me as my…well as my best man I suppose."

"Really?" Frost sounded surprised. "You want me to be your best man?"

"I do," Maura nodded, a small smile on her face. "You have been a great friend to me since I moved here Barry," she explained. "You're so good with Amelia and you're such a wonderful person, I really can't imagine having anyone else standing up there next to me. If you don't want to you don't…"

"I would be honoured," Frost interrupted before Maura could say anymore. "I would love to be your best man Maura," he grinned, getting up and making his way around the island in order to give the blonde a hug. "Thank you for asking me."

"Thank you for accepting," Maura replied, her eyes stinging with tears, obviously touched.

"Well it looks like that went well," Jane interrupted the moment, returning with Amelia on her hip, the little blonde watching her Mother and Uncle curiously. "I take it congratulations are in order?"

"I think they are," Frost agreed, handing Jane a beer. "I promise I'm gonna be a great best man Maura. Whatever you need, I'm your guy."

"Thank you Barry," Maura smiled as Jane opened her beer. "You're a good friend."

"I'll drink to that," Jane nodded holding up her bottle as Frost and Maura did the same."

"Cheers!"


	14. Pop

**So I decided there was a character I really felt like I needed to include in some way, so I chose to borrow some storylines from the show but give it my own little spin. I hope that you'll enjoy where I'm going with this!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! –J**

 ****A Note: There are italics used in the last section of this chapter- they are meant to represent a flashback, just in case it's unclear.**

 **Chapter 14- Pop**

"Mommy….psst…Mommy….Mommy wake up…Mommy!"

"Hm…wha...Amelia?" Maura squinted open her eyes to find her daughter standing beside the bed, holding her favourite teddy bear against her chest. "What is it Honey?" She asked, not needing to look at the clock to know it was too early for the six year old to be up as it was still dark. "What's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream Mommy," Amelia replied, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. "The bad men came in and tied us up again," she sniffled.

"Oh Sweetie, no one is going to come in and tie us up again," Maura assured the little blonde, immediately pulling the covers back and pulling Amelia up onto the bed, rolling so she was laying in the middle of both her Mothers. "I know it's scary, but you're safe here Darling. Mama and I are here to protect you," she placed a kiss on her daughter's head, hating the fact that an incident from more than a year ago still haunted the little girl's dreams. "It's okay. Nothing is going to happen. You just sleep now."

Comforted by her Mother's fingers running through her hair, Amelia allowed her eyes to drift shut, shuffling closer to Maura as sleep overcame her. While Maura was still tired, she suddenly found herself unable to fall back asleep, instead watching her daughter as she struggled to turn off her thoughts.

"Maur?" Jane groaned as she rolled over, as if hearing Maura thinking. "What's going on? Is she okay?" She gestured towards Amelia with a yawn.

"She had a nightmare," Maura replied shaking her head. "About Paddy."

"Ah, that one seems to return every few weeks huh," Jane nodded, moving so she was close to Amelia's other side and placing her hand on Maura's hip.

"Yes well the incident was rather traumatic. It's only natural that she would have nightmares about it," Maura explained as Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the fact that the Doctor could be so logical even in the middle of the night. "I just hate that my birth father is the source of my daughter's night terrors. I hate that…I hate that I can't seem to ever escape that man."

"I know Maur," Jane ran her hand over her fiancée's head. "But Mia's okay and Paddy is locked away until his trial and after that he's going away for life. We've got him now Maur."

"I'm not sure I can believe that until I see it," Maura sighed as Jane squeezed her hip. "Somehow I don't think that man is going to allow himself to be put away without a fight."

"Yeah well we're gonna be ready for that fight," Jane assured her. "And there's no way that man is coming anywhere near Mia ever again."

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"Alright kiddo, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast," Jane placed Amelia's breakfast in front of her. "And if I were you I'd enjoy that bacon before your Mom gets down here because it is not the kind she normally serves you," she winked as the little blonde immediately took a bite. "So what's on the agenda today Bug? Anything exciting happening in kindergarten today?"

"Today is Thursday so I go to first grade," Amelia replied, having gotten used to the schedule that her teachers had created for her. "We are learning about 'lectricity. It's what turns the lights on and gives us power."

"It sure is," Jane grinned, always amazed by just how much the little girl knew. "How about tonight after dinner you tell me everything you learned. Think you can do that?"

"Okay Mama!" Amelia beamed, loving sharing her knowledge almost as much as she loved learning. "Think Mommy would want to learn to?"

"Mommy always wants to learn," Maura interrupted before Jane could answer as she came down the stairs, ready for work. "And I especially love when you're the one to teach me," she placed a kiss on the top of Amelia's head. "Jane what kind of bacon is that?" She asked, noticing the last piece that was still sitting in the pan on the stove.

"The good kind," Jane was quick to grab the last piece and stuff it in her mouth, giving Maura her best, innocent smile. "You look good," she changed the subject. "I like that dress."

"Flattery will get you nowhere Jane Rizzoli," Maura glared as she moved to make her complicated coffee.

"What about an omelet? Will an omelet get me somewhere?" Jane asked, taking a plate out of the microwave where it had been put to keep warm. "Because I made you your favourite?" She smiled at the delighted look on Maura's face.

"Thank you Jane," Maura said as Jane placed a kiss on her cheek and placed the plate in front of her just as the doorbell rang. "Are you expecting someone?"

"I don't think so," Jane shook her head, making her way towards the front door, not bothering to check who was there before opening up the door. "Pop!" She was stunned to find Frank Rizzoli standing on her doorstep, Tommy at his side. "What are you…when did you…What are you doing here?"

"I told you she'd be surprised," Tommy looked pleased with himself as Frank moved in to hug his daughter.

"Janie. There's my girl," Frank said as Jane returned the hug, shock preventing her from saying anything. "You going to invite your old man into your new digs? Looks like a fancy place you got here."

"Oh uh yeah of course come on in," Jane stepped aside, turning back towards the kitchen where both Maura and Amelia were watching with curious looks on their faces. "Maura, Mia come here," she called, watching as Maura took Amelia's hand as they walked over. "Pop this is my fiancée Maura and our daughter Amelia. This is my dad."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Maura immediately held out a hand despite the fact that she looked rather nervous, having not anticipated meeting Jane's father.

"Oh uh yeah…you too," Frank hesitated before shaking the blonde's hand, clearly surprised. "Frank Rizzoli," he added politely. "I guess congratulations are in order. I heard you were getting married Janie."

"I meant to call you Pop, I just haven't gotten around to it," Jane replied rather awkwardly, moving to lift Amelia up onto her hip. "Mia can you say hello?"

"Hi," Amelia waved shyly before hiding her face in Jane's hair, resting her head on the brunette's shoulder.

"Wow a daughter too huh? Boy things sure have changed around here," Frank joked as Maura reached out for Jane's hand, sensing her fiancée needed the added comfort, as she looked rather tense.

"Yeah well it has been a while Pop," Jane did her best to stay calm, feeling uneasy about her Father's sudden reappearance. "So what are you doing here anyways?"

"Can't a father visit his kids?" Frank asked, a rather forced smile on his face.

"Sure he can," Jane shrugged. "But it has been like two years so somehow I doubt you just popped in for a visit."

"Jane," Tommy immediately jumped to his Father's defense.

"No, no it's alright Tommy," Frank shook him off. "Your sister's right. I did come here for a reason," he admitted. "I came because I got some news and I needed to come tell you kids, we should really wait till Frankie's here though. Let's have dinner tonight. We can talk then."

"You're more than welcome to join us here for dinner this evening," Maura was quick to offer, ever the polite hostess.

"No offense Maura but I'd like to talk to my kids," Frank replied. "We'll go out…have a family dinner."

"Maura is my family," Jane squeezed the blonde's hand, trying to keep her temper at bay for Amelia's sake. "If you wanna talk we'll do it here. Tonight. 7pm."

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"Would you like to talk about it?" Maura asked Jane later that morning as she watched her fiancée pace across the autopsy room floor, something that she had been doing for the past 15 minutes.

"I just…he…and I…" Jane struggled to find the words as she continued to walk back and forth, obviously frustrated. "I don't understand why he's here," she shook her head. "The man leaves and doesn't call for two years and now he just walks in like it's nothing. What's with that?"

"Jane," Maura finally moved in front of the brunette to stop the pacing, placing her hands on both her shoulders. "Honey you need to try and calm down. Maybe your father has realized the errors of his ways. Maybe he wants to fix his relationship with you and your brothers."

"Or maybe he wants something," Jane shook her head. "He said he has news Maur. It's not going to be good. You don't know my father. You have to trust me on this."

"Well all we can do is wait for tonight and see what he has to say," Maura nodded, knowing there was no reasoning with the brunette at the moment. "Have you spoken to Angela about it?"

"Tommy and Pop went over to see her after we left," Jane told her, a disgusted look on her face. "He asked her to come to dinner too, which is absolutely ridiculous considering he up and left her. She agreed though, God only knows why," she shook her head again. "She's better than I am."

"Your Mother probably wants to be there for you and your Brothers," Maura pointed out. "Perhaps I should ask Barry to take Amelia for dinner this evening. I don't know what all of this is about, but I'm not sure she should be there."

"That's probably a good call," Jane nodded. "I'll ask him when I go back up, I'm sure he'd love to," she said, reaching down for Maura's hand, playing with the ring on her left finger. "I don't want him to come to our wedding Maur. I know he's my father but after everything he's put my family through I just…I want my Ma to walk me down the aisle and I want my Brothers to give a speech…I…I don't want him there."

Nodding Maura understood the brunette's feelings, wishing she had something wise and assuring to say. "My Father hasn't seen Amelia since she was 2," she eventually said instead. "Growing up I had a difficult time relating to him. We never really knew how to speak to each other so at some point I guess we just stopped trying," she explained with a shrug. "I haven't spoken to him about the wedding. Part of me thinks that I should but another part of me fears the rejection I know that I'll feel if he says he can't come. No one should ever feel that way about their parent," she rubbed the back of Jane's hands with her thumbs. "It's our wedding Jane. We can invite and not invite whomever we want. It's _our_ wedding."

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Just like Jane had predicted, Frost had been happy to take Amelia out while the Rizzolis and Maura had dinner. Though Amelia had been disappointed that her electricity lesson was being pushed back to the next night, she was delighted to learn that she would be getting to spend a night out with her Uncle Frostie, saying a rather quick goodbye to her Mothers before leaving holding onto Frost's hand.

"Are you ready for this?" Maura asked as she put the finishing touches on dinner, the couple waiting for Jane's family to arrive. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm still worried," Jane shook her head. "But I guess all I gotta do is hear him out right? Whatever it is I'll…I'll handle it."

"We'll handle it," Maura corrected her, giving a reassuring smile as Angela came in through the side door. "Hello Angela."

"Hi Maura, hi Janie," Angela greeted, though not with her usual enthusiasm. "Thank you for having us all for dinner tonight Maura. It's very kind of you to host us all."

"Of course. It's no problem at all," Maura replied, glancing at Jane with a worried look, tilting her head towards Angela, hoping the brunette would get the hint.

"Ma, you know you don't have to do this tonight right?" Jane understood, moving to take her Mother's hand in hers, hating the sad look on the older woman's face. "Whatever's going on with Pop we can handle it. You don't have to be here. You shouldn't have to be here."

"I appreciate that Janie, but whatever your Father wants…whatever this big news is, I'm not going to leave my kids to deal with it on their own," Angela replied, leaning forward and placing a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "He may not be my husband anymore but you and your Brothers are my family. I'm here for you. Always."

Smiling, Jane wrapped her arms around her Mother, amazed by the woman's strength and commitment. The pair remained embraced until the doorbell rang, indicating that her Brothers and Fathers had arrived.

"I'll get that," Maura suggested, giving the two brunettes a moment to prepare themselves as she moved to open the front door revealing Tommy, Frank, and a rather grumpy looking Frankie.

"Hi Maura, thanks for having us," Tommy greeted.

"Of course. Come on in," Maura smiled, stepping aside to allow the men to enter, placing a hand briefly on Frankie's back, seeing that he needed the comfort. "Can I get everyone drinks? Would you like a soda Tommy? Water?" She asked, knowing the youngest Rizzoli didn't drink.

"I think we're all okay for now Maura," Tommy replied noticing his Mother for the first time. "Hey Ma," he grinned. "So great that we could all get together tonight. The whole family together again; it's great isn't it?" He beamed while the rest of the room glanced at each other awkwardly.

"It is nice to have you all together again," Frank nodded. "I've missed you all."

"Yeah well whose fault is that?" Frankie practically growled, his obvious annoyance about the whole thing coming out. "In case you forgot you're the one who left Pop. We've been here the whole time. You're the one who cut us all out of your life."

"Frankie don't…." Tommy tried to interrupt, cut off by Jane who was obviously feeling the same way as Frankie.

"No Tommy, Frankie's right," she looked angry, though there was obvious signs of hurt there as well. "So why don't you just cut to the chase Pop. What's going on? What are you doing here?"

"Jane maybe we should…" Maura began, wanting to ease the tension.

"No, it's okay Maura," Frank was the one to interrupt this time, shaking his head as he moved to sit on one of the kitchen stools. "My kids are right. I haven't been much of a Father these last couple years and it was probably unfair of me to show up like this," he continued. "I came to Boston because there's a Doctor here that I need to see," he said, all three Rizzoli children freezing at these words.

"Pop what are you…"

"I'm sick Janie," Frank revealed, looking up at a room full of surprised faces. "I've got cancer."

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10pm. It was 10pm by the time Maura finished cleaning up from dinner, having sent Jane upstairs more than an hour before. As the blonde checked that all the doors were locked and turned off the lights she couldn't help but feel bad for her fiancée; knowing that no matter how severed her relationship with her Father was, that she was suffering right now.

Quietly making her way up the stairs, Maura decided to check in on Amelia before heading to bed, opening up the door to the little girl's room and sticking her head in to find a sight, which brought a small smile to her face. The glow from Amelia's night-light shone over the sleeping blonde, who was wrapped in Jane's arms, the only indication that the brunette was still awake being the constant movement of her hand, up and down the little girl's back.

"Jane," Maura called out softly, watching as Jane's hand froze over Amelia's back. "Honey come to bed," she stepped into the room, leaning over and kissing Amelia's head as she unwrapped her from her Mama's arms. "Come on beautiful. Come to bed with me."

Jane, who seemed to be in a state of shock, allowed Maura to pull her up from the bed, keeping their hands intertwined as she lead Jane down towards the master bedroom where she sat her down on the bed. Seeing that Jane wasn't going to move, Maura went over to the brunette's dresser, grabbing her favourite t-shirt to sleep in before returning in front of Jane, pulling off her blouse and bra before pulling the shirt over her head and helping her out of her pants.

"I'm going to go change," Maura placed a kiss on Jane's forehead before retreating to her closet, returning a few minutes later to find the brunette exactly where she left her. "Prostate cancer is treatable Jane. It's one of the most treatable forms of cancer actually," she said as she got into bed, wrapping her arm around Jane's waist and pulling her down to lay beside her. "I know that it all sounds scary right now, but if the cancer is caught early they will be able to treat him. Your father is going to be fine," she kept her hold tight, offering as much silent support as she could. "I could…I could go to his Doctor's appointment with him if you like…make sure we get all the proper information so that…"

"No," Jane interrupted, shaking her head as she rolled over so she and Maura were lying face to face. "Tommy can go with him," she said. "You're not…we're…how can you even offer that after what he…you don't have to go."

 _"It's not even a real marriage," Frank had scoffed in the middle of dinner, already into his third glass of wine. "I mean honestly Janie why even go through with something that half the country doesn't even recognize."_

 _"Same sex marriage has been legally recognized in Massachusetts since 2004," Maura pointed out, placing a hand on Jane's knee and giving it a discreet squeeze._

 _"What about God Janie?" Frank ignored the blonde, keeping his attention on his daughter._

 _"Frank," Angela attempted to intervene, only to be cut off by her daughter._

 _"No it's alright Ma," Jane shook her head, reaching down and taking Maura's hand in hers. "I love Maura Pop. I love her. And if your God doesn't recognize that well than that's not a God that I want any part of."_

"I don't understand how he can just come here…come here and tell us he's sick and then sit there trying to shame me about my relationship with you," Jane's eyes were shining with tears. "I don't…I don't understand."

"It's how he was raised Jane," Maura shrugged, tightening he hold on the brunette's waist, pulling her impossibly closer as she tried to be the voice of reason. "His religion is clouding his judgment. He doesn't understand because this… _we_ go against everything he ever learned. He may come around Jane. He just…he doesn't understand."

"He's never understood me," Jane shook her head, leaning forward so her forehead rested against Maura's. "Even when I was a kid he never…Ever since I told him I was gay he's never acknowledged anyone I've ever dated," she explained, her voice low, but pained. "The only reason he ever stayed quiet about it was because of my Ma though she would never admit that," she was silent for a moment, obviously thinking. "I don't know how to feel Maur. I'm so mad about what he said…I'm so mad that he could talk to you that way…that he could treat us like that but…he's…"

"He's sick," Maura finished for her, understanding. "You're allowed to feel what you feel Jane. Just because your Father is sick it doesn't give him the right to treat you and your Brothers the way he did. It's okay to be angry and hurt," she kissed the brunette's forehead. "And it's okay to be sad."

"It's just not fair," Jane let out a sob she had obviously been holding in for some time; Maura's arms tightening automatically. "It's not fair."


	15. Go

**I feel like I'm getting into a rhythm with this story and I finally know what I want to do, so I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

 **Thanks so much to everyone who has been reading! -J**

 **Chapter 15- Go**

"When's your Father's appointment?" Maura asked Jane as the pair made breakfast together 2 days later.

"1 o'clock," Jane replied her attention focused on making her coffee, which was instant despite the disgusted look on Maura's face. "Tommy's still going with him," she continued. "Frankie refuses and I had to talk Ma out of going. The man isn't her husband anymore she's gotta stop acting like she owes him something."

"It's just who your Mother is," Maura nodded her understanding. "I'm sure her offering her support has more to do with you and your Brothers than it does with Frank," she explained. "Are you still sure you don't want to go?" She had to ask even though the incredulous look on Jane's face gave her, her answer.

"Maura there is no way I'm going," Jane shook her head in disbelief. "He hasn't even apologized for the other night. Hasn't even brought it up," she exclaimed. "He just wants to pretend like everything's great and he didn't treat us like crap."

"Jane I know you're upset," Maura kept her voice calm and steady. "But he's still your Father and he's going through something rather difficult. No one's going to judge you if you decide to go despite everything," she told her. " _I_ would understand if you went."

Sighing, Jane stepped in front of the blonde before wrapping her arms around her waist. "I know all that Maur. I know you would never be upset with me or blame me for wanting to be there for my Pop but…I just can't do it this time," she said, resting her chin on top of Maura's head.

"I just don't want you not to go because of me Jane," Maura replied, understanding the brunette's need to protect her at all costs.

"It's not because of you," Jane shook her head, placing a kiss in blonde locks. "I idolized my Father growing up. He was my hero," she explained. "But when I was a teenager and lately…these last few years…All he's done is let me down and I'm done just sitting back and pretending it's okay. It's not okay. The way he treated me is not okay."

"Okay," Maura nodded just as the sound of footsteps could be heard running down the stairs.

"Mama, Mommy I'm ready!" Amelia called, rounding the corner dressed in her school uniform, a big smile on her face. "Look Mommy I even got the laces!" She stuck out her foot revealing a perfectly tied shoe, her newest talent; a skill, which took only 1 week for Maura to teach her.

"Wonderful!" Maura beamed, hugging her daughter tight before placing multiple kisses on her cheeks. "You're getting to be such a big girl Amelia."

"I'm growing real fast Mommy," Amelia nodded seriously, making both her Mothers laugh. "One day I'm gonna be as big as you and Mama. Right Mommy?"

"Well yes, that's true," Maura nodded with a laugh even though the thought of her daughter growing up filled her stomach with dread. "But that won't be for a very long time."

"Yeah and Mommy and I will be real old by then," Jane swooped the little blonde off her feet, swinging her into the air and making her giggle. "You'll be taking care of us then."

"That's silly Mama," Amelia continued to laugh, wiggling as Jane placed her on top of the counter, ignoring Maura's glare as she placed a kiss on the top of the 6 year old's head. "You and Mommy take care of me. I'm your Baby," she rolled her eyes, repeating the sentiment Maura had been telling her since she was born. "I'm your Baby, Mama."

"That's right," Jane nodded, leaning forward to kiss the little girl's forehead so she wouldn't see the tears shining in her eyes. "I will _always_ take care of you. You will always be my Baby."

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They got a call for a case 15 minutes later. Just as the trio were pulling on shoes and coats, Jane and Maura's phones began to ring, Amelia giggling as she yelled out 'Rizzoli and Isles' at the same time as her Mothers.

Getting a location in the completely opposite direction as Amelia's school, Jane and Maura had been forced to ask Angela to take the little blonde, giving her extra hugs and kisses before sending her off with her Nona.

"You know it's crazy that Amelia understands something that my own Father can't comprehend and she's only six," Jane huffed out when they were almost at the crime scene, obviously bothered by something; Maura wracking her brain to figure out what the brunette was referring to. "Amelia knows that we will always take care of her, simply because she's our Baby. She's our kid and we've got her back always, that's how it's supposed to be with parents but my Father has never gotten that," she explained, obviously needing to rant. "I'm different so he just…he just abandons me," she sounded hurt as she parked the car, turning to Maura with a stricken look on her face. "I won't ever do that to Mia, Maur. I won't do that to any of our kids. I promise."

"I know you won't Sweetheart," Maura smiled, checking that no one was around before leaning forward for a brief kiss. As she pulled away, Maura pushed he brunette's hair away from her face, considering her carefully for a few minutes before finally voicing her concerns. "Don't hate me for saying this but perhaps you should take the day off…I know you said you're fine and you're sure about your decision to skip your Father's appointment but you're obviously struggling Jane; understandably so," she reached out for the Detective's hand. "So take a break. No one would blame you."

"I can't," Jane immediately shook her head. "I can't Maur, I just…I need to be here. I need to feel like I have a purpose today. I just…I can do this. I can be here."

"Of course you can," Maura nodded, exiting the car without another word, kit bag in hand as Jane followed closely behind.

"What do we got?" Jane asked as soon as Frost was in view, already in Detective mode as Maura immediately bent down next to the body.

"Gunshot wound to the chest," Frost replied, ready with his notebook open. "2 gunshot wounds actually."

"Also looks like he has a head wound," Maura added, examining blood on their victim's forehead.

"So someone shoots him then hit's him over the head before shooting him again?" Jane guessed earning a glare from Maura. "Or maybe he fell and hit his head after the first shot?" She tried again.

"We'll have to wait for the autopsy to know for sure," Maura replied, standing up and pulling off her gloves. "Though if he fell and hit his head you'd expect to see scrapes and bruises. His head wound seems to be isolated though," she explained. "Time of death was approximately an hour ago."

"Well alright then," Jane grinned, loving when she's able to get answers from Maura without really trying. "I shall see you at the autopsy Dr. Isles."

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"Maura have you seen Jane?" Frankie came rushing into the autopsy room later that day, a worried look on his face.

"We found our victim's family. She and Detective Frost went to talk to them," Maura replied, watching as Frankie seemed to look even more worried. "What's going on Frankie?"

"I just…I need Jane," Frankie looked as if he was struggling to decide on what to tell the blonde. "There's just something I need her help with…like right away."

"Well that's not going to be possible," Maura shook her head. "But perhaps I could help you? Why don't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Well…" Frankie bit his lip, obviously considering his options before eventually sighing, seeing no other choice. "Alright it's Tommy...and Pop too I guess, but I'm mostly worried about Tommy."

"Where is he Frankie?" Maura asked, still unsure what was going on, but immediately concerned.

"At the Dirty Robber," Frankie told her. "They're both there. Him and Pop."

"Okay," Maura nodded, not really sure what she was supposed to do, but knowing she needed to do something. "Okay. Let's go."

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"He's drinking Frankie," Maura felt immediately disappointed as soon as she and Frankie walked into the Dirty Robber to find Tommy and Frank sitting at the bar, surrounded by drinks.

"He's completely plastered Maura," Frankie sounded just as disappointed. "A friend of mine saw him and called me," he explained. "He's been doing so well. Just leave it to Pop to get him drinking again."

"Lets just…lets get them out of here," Maura sighed, staying close to Frankie as they approached the Father and Son, both of whom seemed oblivious to everyone around them. "Tommy," Maura placed a hand on the youngest Rizzoli's shoulder. "Tommy what are you doing?"

"Dr. Isles!" Tommy beamed, immediately getting to his feet and wrapping the blonde in a hug. "Hi Maura! I'm so glad you're here! Come have a drink! Come on!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Maura shook her head. "I think we should go Tommy. You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be drinking."

"Ah give the kid a break," Frank scoffed from where he still sat on his barstool. "We're just having a bit of fun. I've got cancer after all. Don't you think I deserve a couple drinks with my kid?"

"Tommy's not supposed to be drinking Pop," Frankie shook his head in frustration. "He went to jail for running over a priest while he was hammered remember? He's supposed to be on the program."

"Aw come on, he's fine," Frank rolled his eyes, taking a swig of his beer. "Everyone needs to just relax."

"Frankie and I are just worried about Tommy, Mr. Rizzoli," Maura did her best to sound firm, though she felt a little out of her element. "He has been doing so well lately…you've been doing so well Tommy," she placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Don't throw it all away. Come on. Come home with us."

"Tommy's not going anywhere," Frank placed his hand on Tommy's other shoulder, keeping him in his seat. "And with all due respect _Doctor_ I'm not really sure why you're here."

"I asked Maura to come with me Pop," Frankie was quick to come to the blonde's defense. "We came to get Tommy."

"That's alright Francesco I'm good here with Pop," Tommy replied, almost spilling his drink as he brought it to his mouth. "Now why don't you stop trying to be Jane's perfect brother and have a drink? We'll get you a glass of wine too Maura."

"No we're not going to have drinks with you Tommy," Frankie was beginning to lose his patience, sighing as he turned to his Father. "What did the Doctor say? Did something happen? Is that why you two are here?"

"He said the cancer's stage 2," Frank replied with a shrug.

"Well that's a great diagnosis," Maura told him.

"Oh yeah my cancer's just great," Frank scoffed, Maura placing a hand on Frankie's arm, seeing him tightening his fist in anger.

"I just meant that they caught it early," Maura clarified. "Stage two is treatable."

"Yeah, yeah it's just great," Frank once again rolled his eyes, his attention on his drink.

"Alright Pop that's enough," Frankie obviously reached his limit. "Maura's just trying to be positive, and she's being nice to you even though you don't deserve it so maybe you could stop being such a jerk," he said before grabbing his Brother's arm. "Come on Tommy. Time to go."

"Get your hands off me," Tommy immediately shoved Frankie off him, forcing him into the table behind them and angering him even more than he already was.

Seeing what was going to happen before it happened, Maura went to reach out to put a stop to it only a moment too late. "Frankie don't…" She called out just as Frankie's fist collided with Tommy's face.

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When Maura called and asked her to come home, Jane knew better than to ask questions; driving slightly faster than usual in order to return home where Frankie's car also sat in the driveway. Worried, the brunette was quick to get out of the car and let herself into the house, Amelia immediately running up to greet her.

"Mama!" Amelia exclaimed, jumping into Jane's waiting arms. "Mama Uncle Frankie and Uncle Tommy have boo-boos," she said as Jane lifted her up onto her hip.

"They have boo-boos?" Jane hurried into the family room, finding Maura and her entire family; Frankie and Tommy both holding ice packs to their faces while Frank sat in the corner drinking a coffee that Maura brought him. "What the hell happened?" Jane demanded, flinching at Amelia's gasp.

"Mama you said a swear," Amelia whispered, glancing at Maura who was also giving the brunette a stern look.

"I'm sorry Baby, Mama was just surprised," Jane kissed the side of the little blonde's head. "Listen Bug can you go up and play in your room for a little bit? I'll come up and get you soon okay?"

"Okay Mama," Amelia nodded, Jane waiting until her footsteps could be heard upstairs before turning her attention back to her Brothers.

"What the hell is going on?" Jane asked again. "Were you two fighting?"

"Frankie started it," Tommy blurted out rather childishly, receiving a glare from Angela who was looking at Frankie's lip, which had been split open during the Brothers' fight.

"Yeah well Tommy was drinking," Frankie shot back, Jane immediately turning on her youngest Brother with a 'what the hell' look on her face. "Maura and I went down to the Robber to bring him home but him and Pop wouldn't listen to us. Then Tommy shoved _me_ so technically he's the one that started it."

"Tommy you were drinking?" Jane asked, her voice laced with disappointment. "Why? Why would you be drinking when you've been doing so well?"

"I just…I don't know," Tommy sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I got scared…Pop's cancer scared me," he admitted quietly.

"I think everyone just needs to relax. You are all blowing this way out of proportion," Frank scoffed. "Just give the kid a break."

"You know what Pop, no," Jane turned on her Father, having had enough. "We're not gonna give Tommy a break and you know why? Because we care about him," she said as Maura came up beside her, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "We care about Tommy and we've seen how great he's been doing these last couple years. He's got a real job, he's happy and he's a fantastic Uncle," she was breathing fast now, her anger taking over. "I refuse to sit back and watch him throw it all away again. I refuse to watch him become like…to be like…"

"What like me?" Frank finished his Daughter's thought for her. "That's what you were going to say isn't it? You don't want Tommy to turn out like me."

Shaking her head in frustration, Jane didn't need to answer the question, for it was written all over her face. "I can't do this Pop. I just can't do this," she sighed, dropping down onto the couch, taking Maura's hand so she would sit down next to her. "I want to be here for you through all of this…I really do, but Maura said you're going to be okay….your prognosis is good," she continued, her eyes filling with tears. "So as much as I'd like to be here for you, I just can't. I won't sit back and watch you tear Tommy and Frankie apart and I won't let you criticize my relationship anymore."

"What are you saying Janie?" Frank asked.

"I'm saying that I think you should go Pop," Janie replied, squaring her shoulders; sitting up straight, and sure. "I think you should go back to Florida."


	16. When you Have to be the Mama

**Chapter 16- When you Have to be the Mama**

 _"What are you saying Janie?" Frank asked._

 _"I'm saying that I think you should go Pop," Jane replied, squaring her shoulders; sitting up straight, and sure. "I think you should go back to Florida."_

 _"I'm sick. I've got cancer," Frank reminded his daughter unnecessarily. "You want to send me back to Florida when I'm sick? I should be close to my family."_

 _"Why?" Jane countered. "So you can hang out with Tommy and force him back into drinking?" She asked. "We've all been here for the last two years Pop. We've been here and we haven't heard a word from you, but now that you're sick you suddenly need us? It's not fair Pop. We've all moved on. We've gotten over you're leaving and we've moved on with our lives," she continued, doing her best to stay calm. "We're happy. Frankie's doing great at work, Tommy has a stable job for the first time in his life, Ma is a great Nona to Mia and me…I'm….I'm happier than I've ever been but you show up for a couple days and you threaten all of it."_

 _"Janie I don't know what you're talking about," Frank shook his head, looking annoyed. "I just came for a little support from my family. So Tommy had a couple drinks it's not a big…"_

 _"It is a big deal," Jane interrupted, angry. "It's a big deal because Tommy has been working so hard to stay sober, and you'd know that if you'd been around at all," she scoffed, taking a deep breath in order to calm herself. "Look Pop. You're going to be okay and I'm willing to bet they've got some pretty good doctors in Florida, so it's time for you to go. I'm sorry," she sighed. "But I don't see any other way. You need to go."_

And just like that Frank Rizzoli was once again gone from his family's life. Though he wouldn't admit it, Jane knew that Tommy was still talking to their father; checking in with him every few days, but since he was also attending AA meetings again Jane decided to let it go. Frankie and Angela were able to relax as soon as Frank was gone and Jane and Maura went straight back to wedding planning, ready for their big day, sans fathers.

"Jane are you able to get off early today?" Maura rushed into the bullpen, late in the afternoon, her medical bag in hand. "I just got a call for a car accident but I was supposed to pick Amelia up from school today since your Mother had an appointment. I'm not going to be able to make it," she glanced at the time. "And I can't get another M.E in."

"No problem I can get Mia," Jane was quick to reply. "You alright with that Korsak?"

"Sure Jane no problem," Korsak nodded, with a smile. "Frost and I can handle things here. You go hang out with the kid."

"Thank you Vince," Maura smiled before turning back to Jane. "I'd really like to do the autopsy today so I may be late getting home."

"No problem," Jane shrugged, grabbing her blazer and keys, needing to head to Amelia's school. "Mia and I will be fine. You take your time," she said, reaching out and giving Maura's hand a squeeze since there were too many people around to give her a kiss. "I'll see you at home."

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Mia was tired. Jane could see it on the little blonde's face as soon as she exited the school; dragging her feet and greeting the brunette with a quiet hello. Though Amelia was normally pretty agreeable and happy, Jane had experienced tired Amelia enough times to know that the little girl was either going to be extremely clingy and whiney, or incredibly grumpy and frankly the Detective wasn't looking forward to either option.

So after a rather quiet ride home, during which, Jane attempted, but failed, to engage Amelia in conversation, the pair arrived home where Amelia immediately dropped her bag on the floor in the entryway.

"Hey that's not where that goes," Jane was quick to remind the six year old. "Pick it up and put it in your room please. And leave your lunchbox on the counter for me."

Not saying a word, Amelia simply let out a huff as she grabbed her bag and practically stomped towards the kitchen, making a brief stop before heading up the stairs.

"Grumpy it is," Jane rolled her eyes, listening as Amelia stomped around upstairs. "Alright Mama Jane, let's find a way to put an end to this," she was talking to herself, waiting until her daughter returned downstairs before following her into the family room. "Hey Bug. How about we play a game or something before dinner?" She suggested, wanting to snap the little blonde out of her funk, not used to getting the cold shoulder from the six year old.

"Don't want to," Amelia shook her head, laying down on the couch and turning the TV on before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay, what would you like to do then?" Jane asked, biting her lip anxiously, knowing Maura didn't allow Amelia to watch too much television during the week.

"Wanna watch TV," Amelia replied, not taking her eyes off of the screen as Jane resisted the urge to once again roll her eyes.

"Okay you can watch for an hour," Jane sighed, not wanting to get in a fight. "That's two shows and then that's it," she said. "I'm gonna make some dinner while I do some work in the kitchen."

"Kay," Amelia shrugged, making Jane shake her head as she returned to the kitchen, cleaning up Amelia's lunch bag before pulling out a few things for dinner.

After eventually getting dinner into the oven, Jane decided to pull out some paperwork she had brought home with her since Amelia still had another half hour of TV time before she would be forced to turn off the television, not wanting to upset Maura if she returned home earlier than she thought she would. Watching the time out of the corner of her eye, Jane waited exactly 30 minutes before putting down her case file and returning to the family room where she peaked over the couch, hoping that Amelia had fallen asleep, but finding her wide awake with her attention on the screen in front of her.

"Hey Bug, time to turn it off," Jane said, moving to stand between the TV and the little blonde.

"I'm still watching," Amelia shook her head, not looking up to meet Jane's eyes.

"I know you are," Jane did her best to stay calm. "But I gave you an hour. Time's up kiddo. Time to turn it off," she said, standing and waiting for the six year old to make some sort of move. "Amelia come on. Off. Now."

Huffing, Amelia grabbed the remote control from where it sat on the table, flicking the television off before practically throwing the remote down on the couch; crossing her arms over her chest and turning towards Jane with a scowl on her face.

Taking a deep breath, Jane had to remind herself that Amelia was only six, and while she was normally a little angel, was only a kid and was bound to start acting up at some point. "Dinner is going to be ready in a few minutes. Go wash up," she eventually told the little blonde, making sure her tone was serious, wanting Amelia to know that she wasn't pleased with her behaviour.

Without saying a word, Amelia headed for the guest bathroom as Jane made her way into the kitchen to get dinner set up for her and Amelia. "Alright Jane you can do this. Just be patient and try and snap her out of this. You've got this. She's just a kid," she coached herself while pulling the macaroni and cheese out of the oven and dishing it out on two plates, deciding to eat at the island rather than the dining room table. "Hey kiddo, look it's your favourite," she said when Amelia returned and immediately climbed up on one of the stools.

"I don't want that," Amelia shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly as Jane wondered if this was how her own mother felt with her growing up.

"What do you mean you don't want it? It's mac and cheese. You love mac and cheese," Jane said, trying to sound up beat. "I made it just the way Nona makes it for you and I know you must be hungry. We can't waste all this food."

"No," Amelia replied, pushing the plate in front of her away from her.

"Okay Amelia that's enough," Jane finally lost her patience. "I don't know what is going on with you this afternoon but I have had enough," she continued while the little blonde flinched at the tone. "Now I made dinner and you're going to eat it and then you're going straight upstairs to bed. Do you understand?"

"No!" Amelia was shouting now, once again pushing her plate away from her, but this time the object flew off the counter, crashing to the floor.

"Amelia!" Jane was shocked, having never seen the little girl act out like this before. "That is enough. Go to your room! Now!" She pointed towards the stairs, practically shaking with anger as Amelia immediately ran for the stairs, her bedroom door slamming shut not long after.

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Usually when Maura returned home to a Jane and Amelia who had been left to their own devices, it was to find the house full of noise and laughter. Normally she would walk in the front door to find Amelia and Jane dancing in the family room or camped out on the couch together watching a movie of some sort. So when Maura came home to a quiet house she was immediately concerned, noting that it was too early for Jane and Amelia to have gone to bed.

Noticing that the kitchen had been left in a bit of a mess, Maura headed for the stairs, finally hearing the sounds of faint yelling coming from upstairs. Worried, Maura quickened her steps, making her way to the hallway where she found Jane sitting on the floor in front of Amelia's bedroom door, her hands in her hair.

"Jane? What's going on?" Maura asked, listening to the sounds of Amelia's shouts of 'mean Mama' coming from inside her bedroom. "Is she saying mean Mama? What happened?"

"God, I don't even know," Jane sighed, running her hand through her hair in frustration. "She has been in a mood ever since I picked her up," she continued. "I let her watch some TV because I could tell she was tired and I thought she might get a nap in or something but she argued with me when I told her it was time to turn it off. Then I made mac and cheese for dinner because I know it's her favourite but she didn't want to eat that either," she explained. "When I told her she had to eat it she threw her plate on the floor so I sent her up to her room. I cleaned up her mess and eventually made her a sandwich because I knew she needed to eat and I brought it up to talk to her but she wouldn't have it," she shook her head. "We got into an argument and she called me a bad Mama and I told her she had to stay in her room for the rest of the night. She's basically been yelling at me all night, though she took a short break so I'm assuming she ate the sandwich," she finally turned her head towards the blonde with a rather devastated look on her face. "I'm sorry Maur. I don't know what happened."

"Sounds to me like our six year old is having a six year old day," Maura chuckled, reaching out and taking Jane's hand, sensing the brunette needed the comfort. "It was bound to happen eventually. Do you want me to go talk to her?" She asked, neither noticing that Amelia had fallen quiet.

"No…I…no I think I should do it," Jane shook her head. "I just wanted to give her time to stop with all the yelling. I should do it."

"Well how about we do it together?" Maura suggested, knowing Jane wasn't used to being the one to punish Amelia yet. "We can present a united front," she said with a small smile, glad when Jane was able to crack a smile as well. "Come on," she stood up, still holding Jane's hand in order to pull her up with her.

Taking a deep breath, Jane nodded as Maura opened up the door, the couple finding Amelia fast asleep in the middle of the room, all of her stuffed animals thrown on the floor around her. "Well it looks like she finally tired herself out," Jane laughed quietly, shaking her head as she released Maura's hand and carefully picked the sleeping six-year-old up off the ground.

Without saying a word both Jane and Maura worked to change Amelia into her pajamas before tucking her into her bed and turning out the lights.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with her like that on your own tonight," Maura said, taking Jane's hand as they made their way back downstairs towards the kitchen.

"It's probably for the best," Jane shrugged, grabbing a plate she had kept for Maura and sticking it in the microwave. "I mean Mia is usually so good with me. Ever since I met you guys the two of us have been buddies, she never really acts up for me," she said. "I was bound to face a tantrum eventually. Can't say I enjoyed it much though."

"Yes well Amelia can be quite stubborn when she wants to be," Maura smiled. "Luckily it doesn't happen very often but she can be a little grump sometimes. I know it isn't fun to deal with but it sounds to me like you handled it well."

"I know," Jane sighed. "It's just…well…she called me a mean Mama," she said with a small pout.

"Yes well I'm sure she didn't mean that," Maura couldn't help but laugh. "Trust me when I say Amelia has called me mean plenty of times and it won't be the last time she does it to you," she told her. "It's not always easy being the Mama, but don't worry," she smiled. "You'll get used to it."

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Jane normally prided herself on being able to let things go. At the end of a long workday Jane was usually able to put her case aside and be home with Maura and Amelia and it wasn't often that she let an argument or disagreement get to her. And yet despite this fact, Jane could not seem to get over her argument with Amelia.

That night the Detective struggled to get to sleep; the sound of Amelia's voice calling her a 'mean Mama', playing over and over again in her head. It wasn't until Maura had finally rolled over with a sigh, telling her to stop worrying before she pulled her closer, that Jane was finally able to get to sleep.

"Are you ready to go talk to the little Monster?" Maura asked Jane with a teasing grin after the pair had gotten ready to go down for breakfast. "Hopefully some sleep has changed her poor mood."

"I sure hope so," Jane sighed. "Because I really don't think I could take anymore of the yelling and the snapping and the straight out ignoring me," she said. "I never even knew Mia could act that way. She's always so sweet."

"Trust me Jane, all kids act that way," Maura laughed. "But on the bright side they tend to bounce back pretty quickly. She may have been mad at you yesterday but she's probably already over it."

"I hope so because I really don't like when she's mad at me," Jane pretended to pout, making Maura laugh as they joined hands and made their way down the hallway towards Amelia's bedroom, reaching the door just as the little blonde opened it.

"Mommy you're home!" Amelia had a big grin on her face, jumping into Maura's arms. "I didn't see you last night!"

"You were asleep by the time I came in," Maura replied, kissing the side of Amelia's head as she picked her up. "I gave you a kiss goodnight though. Did you have a good sleep?"

"I had a very good sleep," Amelia nodded, resting her head on Maura's shoulder as she turned towards Jane. "Hi Mama," she greeted quietly, knowing she was still in trouble from the night before.

"Hi Bug," Jane ran her hand over the little blonde's head.

"You mad Mama?" Amelia asked, biting her lip like Maura tended to do when she was nervous.

"I'm not mad Sweetie," Jane shook her head. "But I am a little upset about last night," she explained. "What you said made me very sad."

"And I was very disappointed to hear what happened last night too," Maura added, moving into Amelia's room and sitting her down on the bed so they could all talk. "I heard you weren't a good listener for Mama last night and you threw your dinner all over the floor. That doesn't sound like our sweet little girl. Why were you acting that way?"

"I don't know," Amelia shrugged, a sad look on her face.

"You know bug, everyone has bad days," Jane told the little blonde. "Sometimes we're tired or sad or angry about something and so we don't feel like ourselves. But when we feel like that it's important to talk to someone else, not to treat them badly or act out," she explained. "I really didn't like it when you didn't listen to me yesterday, or when you threw your dinner off the counter. And…well it made me very sad when you called me a mean Mama."

"I'm sorry, Mama," Amelia gasped, immediately climbing onto Jane's lap and wrapping her arms around her neck. "I didn't mean to make you sad Mama. You're not mean," she rested her head against Jane's chest as she settled on her lap. "I was a bad girl," she said sadly.

"You made some bad choices," Jane nodded, placing a kiss atop the little girl's head. "But you're still a good girl."

"You still gonna adopt me Mama?" Amelia then asked, surprising both Maura and Jane.

"What? Of course I am!" Jane pulled back so she could see Amelia better. "Baby listen to me okay. Nothing you do will ever make me change my mind about adopting you," she kissed Amelia's forehead. "I love you Honey. We're a family."

"I love you too Mama," Amelia hugged the brunette tight. "I love you lots and lots and lots."


	17. Just One More Week

**Hello Friends!**

 **I know my updates haven't been as frequent as they used to be but thank you for being so patient! You guys are the best!**

 **Chapter 17- Just One More Week**

She was dreaming. She was dreaming of a beautiful sunny day with her family and friends, white dresses and flowers and Amelia's smiling face. It was a happy dream; the perfect dream, until the sound of her ringing cell phone roused her.

"No," Jane groaned, rolling over as she heard Maura doing the same beside her, noting that it was still dark. "Rizzoli," she answered, her voice rough and full of sleep.

"Isles," Maura answered her own phone right after her, both remaining silent as they listened to the details the dispatcher gave them. "Yes I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you," Maura eventually replied as she turned towards Jane who was also hanging up her phone with a grumpy look on her face. "We better get ready. Would you like to shower first? I can go make coffee."

"I was having a really good dream and it's Saturday," Jane replied with a pout, ignoring Maura's question as she so obviously sulked. "Murderers can just never keep a respectable schedule."

"Yes we've had this conversation before. They're very inconsiderate," Maura chuckled, kissing Jane's cheek before getting out of bed. "However that's the job," she said as she began rummaging about, grabbing Jane's things for her before moving to pull the brunette up from her bed. "What were you dreaming about?"

"You and Me," Jane answered as Maura raised an eyebrow. "No. Not like that dirty mind. It was about the wedding."

"Oh," Maura smiled. "Well that must have been a good dream then," she said as she walked Jane into the bathroom, sticking her head in the shower and turning it on before turning back to her fiancée, smiling as Jane lifted her arms in the air so she could pull her shirt off for her. "I can't believe we're getting married in a week. I really hope everything's ready," she said as she tugged Jane's pajama pants down. "I keep thinking that everything's in order and then I remember something else. I just really want everything to be perfect but we didn't exactly give ourselves very much time to plan and…" she attempted to continue but was cut off as Jane placed her lips over hers.

"The wedding will be perfect Maur," Jane grinned when she pulled away. "No matter what. It's going to be perfect."

"Even if we get called on a case?" Maura questioned with an amused smirk.

"Even then. And you want to know why?" Jane replied. "Because there's no way in hell I will let them call us in on our wedding day," she explained, giving the blonde another quick kiss. "I'm marrying you next week. No matter what."

"Okay then," Maura couldn't help but laugh. "Now we better get moving," she said, pushing Jane towards the shower. "Because for the next week we still need to be Detective Rizzoli and Dr. Isles."

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"You've got to be kidding me," Jane huffed as soon as she walked up to their crime scene with Maura to find a young woman dressed in a wedding dress covered in blood, lying in the middle of a dark park. "Really? A victim in a wedding dress the week before our wedding?"

"The timing does seem like a rather cruel coincidence doesn't it?" Maura said as she pulled on her gloves, opening up her medical bag as she bent down next to the body. "She hasn't been dead long. Most likely within the last hour or so."

"Who found her out here in the middle of the night?" Jane asked Frost who was looking half asleep.

"Guy out walking his dog," Frost replied. "Apparently he walks his dog through this park every morning at this time because he works at a bakery. He seemed pretty shaken up to have stumbled upon her. He's giving his statement over there."

"Do we know who she is?" Jane had to ask, feeling it was unlikely that a woman wearing a wedding dress would be carrying ID on her.

"She doesn't seem to have any personal belongings on her but we've got a few officers searching the grounds to see if anything has been left behind," Korsak was the one to answer as he approached the group. "Most likely we'll have to wait and see if Dr. Isles can get us an ID."

"That could be tricky if she's not in our database," Maura reminded the Detectives. "Although the fact that she's wearing a wedding dress would indicate that she's likely to have someone missing her out there somewhere. A partner perhaps."

"Unless the partner is the one who did this," Jane pointed to the victim. "In which case we may have an even harder time finding out who she is."

"That sounds like an awful lot of guessing to me Detective Rizzoli," Maura couldn't help but smirk as she stood up to full height, pulling off her gloves.

"I'm just putting ideas out there," Jane shrugged, though she was smiling as she always did when she was able to drive Maura crazy with her theories. "It's more of a hunch. Definitely a possibility."

"Well I guess we will have to see if your hunch turns out to be right," Maura said. "I'd like to return home to see Amelia this morning. I won't be long. I'll start the autopsy as soon as I get in. Are you heading straight to the precinct?" She asked Jane.

"Yeah I'll ride in with Frost, I wanna get started on this; see if there were any weddings scheduled for yesterday somewhere in the city," Jane explained. "Give Amelia kisses for me?"

"You got it," Maura smiled, giving Jane a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon Detectives."

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"Mommy can I wear my pink dress to the party today?" Amelia asked Maura from where she sat at the kitchen island eating a plate full of pancakes that Angela made for her.

"Of course you can," Maura smiled, pouring orange juice into Amelia's cup. "It's still a little cold though so you'll need to wear your tights and your white sweater. Perhaps your white shoes as well."

"Okay," Amelia nodded with a smile. "Mommy, where's Mama? Is she still sleeping?"

"No Honey Mama's not sleeping, she's at work," Maura replied, biting her lip as she knew Amelia wouldn't be happy about this news. "We got a call very early this morning and we had to go out to work, that's why Nona was here to make your breakfast. I have to go meet Mama at work soon."

"You're not taking me to the birthday party?" Amelia furrowed her brow, looking sad. "You and Mama were supposed to take me."

"I know we were supposed to take you Sweetheart and I'm very sorry," Maura said, taking a seat next to her daughter and running her hand over her head. "Today is one of those days where Mama and I have to go to work even though we were supposed to have the day off. I'm sorry if you're disappointed but Nona will take you to the party and Mama and I will see you later tonight. You can tell us all about it," she said, hating the fact that Amelia looked so upset. "Amelia Honey, you know Mama and I would take you if we could, but we're needed at work."

"It's the weekend," Amelia replied with a small pout. "No school on the weekend. Why do you gotta work?"

"Because your Mama and I have very important jobs and sometimes we're needed on the weekend," Maura reminded her. "But you know what? Next weekend we won't have to work at all. Do you remember why?"

"Next week you and Mama get married!" Amelia finally cracked a smile, looking to the kitchen calendar where Maura had circled the wedding date in red, with Amelia and Jane's adoption date circled in blue for the week after, as Jane wanted Amelia to have her own special day separate from the wedding. "Then Mama adopts me!"

"Yes that's right," Maura smiled taking Amelia's smaller hand in hers. "And Mama and I are very excited about both those things, but we both need to work today so that we can be here next weekend and for your adoption. Okay?"

"Okay," Amelia finally relented, pulling her hand from Maura's and holding her arms open for a hug.

Smiling as Amelia's arms wrapped around her neck, Maura kissed the side of her daughter's head. "Okay then little Bug how about you finish those pancakes and then Nona will help you get ready for the party okay? I need to get back to work but I'll be home as soon as I can okay? I love you Sweet Girl."

"Love you too Mommy."

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"Well Doctor Isles, what have you got for me?" Jane asked as she let herself into the autopsy room later that day, grinning at the sight of Maura in her black scrubs.

"Our victim was stabbed in the abdomen 13 times," Maura replied, pulling back the sheet so Jane could see the young woman's stomach. "The wounds are all rather shallow, which means whoever did this did it quickly."

"13 times? That's pretty excessive," Jane said, pulling on a pair of gloves so she could get a closer look at one of the wounds. "Our killer must have been pretty angry."

"I would say the wounds are most definitely a sign of rage," Maura nodded. "I was able to find a few hairs on the victim that didn't belong to her, I sent them to the lab for testing," she explained. "Did you find out who our victim is?"

"There were three weddings booked last night within 4 blocks of the park we found her in," Jane replied. "Frost took Frankie out with him to check them out. Hopefully we'll find a groom or bride who's currently missing his or her bride."

"You know she's not wearing a ring," Maura held up the woman's hand. "Could mean she didn't actually go through with the wedding."

"Or this could be some sort of robbery gone wrong," Jane guessed. "Although I'm not sure what she would have been doing out at that park in the middle of the night on her wedding night. Seems like a pretty strange thing to do," she sighed, pulling off her gloves. "This is going to be such a long day; I can already feel it."

"Well hopefully it's not too long because I told Amelia she would be able to tell us all about the birthday party tonight," Maura said, still examining the body. "She's looking forward to it."

"Oh damn the birthday party! We were supposed to take her!" Jane was immediately hit with a wave of guilt. "Was she upset?"

"She was disappointed," Maura nodded. "You know how she gets with these things. She still gets fairly nervous when it comes to going to her friends' houses so she prefers that one of us takes her, but I explained why we had to work," she told her. "She was okay with your Mother taking her when I left but we should probably make a big deal about it when we get home."

"Sounds like a milk and cookies night to me," Jane replied with a small smirk. "I'll pick up her favourite on the way home."

"I would prefer if you picked up some fruit or perhaps some carrot sticks," Maura rolled her eyes. "But I suppose that's fine."

"Great!" Jane placed a quick kiss on Maura's cheek before heading for the hallway. "I'm gonna go see if Korsak has heard from Frost. Call me if you find anything else!"

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Body identifications were never easy. As soon as she met Jeremy Horton, whose fiancée Marissa Pillar had gone missing right before their wedding, she knew she had found the right guy and she knew he was not their killer.

"I tried to report her missing but they told me she hadn't been missing long enough," Jeremy told Jane as they stood together in the elevator on their way down to the morgue, the handsome man already nearing tears. "They said she probably just got cold feet and she'd turn up eventually but I knew she'd never do that to me. I just…I don't understand what happened. Are you sure it's her? Maybe it's not her."

"I'm sorry Jeremy I've seen her picture. I'm fairly certain it's her," Jane placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "We will need your identification to be sure though."

"Right…right of course," Jeremy nodded robotically.

"Hey listen, why don't we take a few minutes," Jane suggested when they exited the elevator, gesturing to Maura's office, which she knew would be empty. "Let's just sit for a few minutes. Take a few deep breaths alright," she said, seeing that Jeremy was losing control of his emotions. "Tell me what happened yesterday. When did Marissa go missing? I mean wasn't she getting ready with her bridesmaids?"

"She was with her bridesmaids until they left her parent's house to head to the church," Jeremy replied. "She rode with her Mom and Dad to the church but she asked for a few minutes alone when they got there. They figured she was just nervous but no one saw her again after that."

"Did Marissa have any enemies?" Jane had to ask. "An ex who may have been upset about the wedding perhaps?"

"No, no," Jeremy shook his head. "None that she ever mentioned at least," he then added.

"Okay well, we'd like to talk to her friends and family then," Jane said. "See if there's anything anyone can tell us."

"O…okay," Jeremy nodded. "I…can we…can I see her now?" He then asked.

"Of course," Jane replied, standing and leading Jeremy out into the hall, eventually knocking on the window to let Maura know they were there. Taking a step back, Jane turned her attention to Jeremy, watching him as Maura pulled up the blinds and moving closer to Jeremy when she saw him beginning to crumble.

"That's…it's….it's her," Jeremy cried as Jane held him up. "I thought maybe…I was hoping…but…"

"I know," Jane nodded, her hand on the man's back. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I need to…can I…please…" Jeremy struggled to find his voice, but Jane immediately understood, nodding as she led him into the morgue so he could say goodbye to Marissa.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Maura said, keeping her distance as Jeremy approached his fiancée, Jane eventually joining her, the pair resisting the urge to hold hands as they watched the young man grieve.

"It's just not fair," Jeremy continued to cry. "We were supposed to…it's just not…I…I love you…I love you so much."

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The ride home was a subdued affair for Jane and Maura, both of whom were still feeling the affects of watching Jeremy say goodbye to his fiancée. Though they still weren't any closer to finding who had killed Marissa, Korsak had eventually sent Jane home, seeing that her head wasn't in it. Jane figured there was no point in arguing and had gone down to get Maura who had been waiting for her; the couple immediately heading out to the car, anxious to get home after a quick trip to the store to get some cookies for Amelia.

It wasn't until they had pulled into the driveway that Jane turned to Maura, reaching out and grabbing the blonde's arm before she could let herself out of the car.

"Wait," Jane said. "Can we just…I need…We should…Can we just wait a few minutes," she eventually sighed. "I just need a few minutes before we go in there. Can we just sit here for a minute?"

"Of course," Maura nodded, settling back in her seat and taking Jane's hand in hers. "I would ask you if you're okay but I'm fairly certain I already know the answer. Would you like to talk about it?"

"I just can't imagine what Jeremy's feeling right now," Jane shook her head sadly. "Yesterday was supposed to be one of the best days of his life and instead he's left identifying his dead fiancée. I just…I could never…I don't want to ever…"

"You're not going to," Maura interrupted, squeezing Jane's hand tightly. "You won't."

"I think this case is just…it's too close," Jane sighed. "It's messing with my head and I just…I love you so much Maur."

"I love you too," Maura smiled, brining Jane's hand to her mouth and kissing the back of it. "I know this case is hard. I feel it too, but we shouldn't worry. We're going to find out who did this to Marissa for Jeremy. We'll close the case just like we always do and we'll get through the rest of our week and then…"

"We get married," Jane finished for the blonde, managing a small smile. "I just wish Jeremy's story had a different ending."

"I know Honey," Maura nodded. "I do too."

Sitting in silence for a few moments, the couple simply enjoyed the moment together, taking a few deep breaths in order to let go of the case so they could go inside and enjoy their time with their daughter.

"Hey Maur?" Jane eventually broke the silence.

"Yes Jane?" Maura turned her head towards the brunette.

"I can't wait to marry you," Jane grinned a big goofy grin before placing a kiss on the blonde's lips.

"I can't wait to marry you either," Maura laughed, glad to see the shift in mood, knowing how much Jane could drive herself crazy when a case was getting to her. "Now come on. Let's go see our little girl."


	18. Solving the Case

**Well apparently I'm having a difficult time finding time to write, but I'm doing the best I can! I'm really excited to get to the wedding bit, but I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! I will do my best to write the next chapter quickly!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! -J**

 **Chapter 18- Solving the Case**

"Jane…Jane your phone…Jane you need to wake up…"

"Hmm? Whaa…" Jane rolled over, squinting open her eyes to find Maura giving her a pointed look, her cell phone to her ear. "Nooo…" she groaned, the sound of her own phone ringing finally registering. "Rizzoli," she said as she answered the call. "Yeah…yep…okay. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Rolling onto her back, Jane simply stared at the ceiling for a minute, wishing she could simply go back to bed. "It's going to be another one isn't it? Another girl in a wedding dress?"

"The dispatcher said the woman who called it in said the girl was dressed up," Maura replied, reaching out and taking the brunette's hand, knowing she needed the comfort after such a long week at work. "3rd one in 4 days."

"We need to catch this guy," Jane sighed. "I can't…this is just…it's gotta stop," she said, turning her head towards the blonde. "I _need_ to find this guy."

Nodding, Maura gave Jane's hand a firm squeeze before pulling herself out of bed, knowing they needed to get moving as people would be waiting for them at the scene. "I'm going to take the first shower. You lay a few extra minutes. I'll be quick."

Jane waited until she heard the shower running before grabbing Maura's pillow, putting it over her face in order to muffle her scream of frustration. 3 dead brides. After combing through all of Marissa Pillar's life Jane thought they were getting somewhere until Sunday night when another woman had been found stabbed to death in the middle of a park, wearing a wedding dress that turned out not to be hers. And now, with bride number 3 found; a woman who may or may not be an actual bride, and her own wedding just 4 days away, Jane didn't know how much more she could take. Jane hated when a killer seemed to be one step ahead of them and this one seemed to be strides ahead as they had very little to go on. She wanted to solve this case and she wanted to do it before Saturday.

"Mama?" Amelia's quiet voice called from the doorway, breaking Jane from her train of thought as she turned to find the little blonde rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Is it morning?"

"Not quite yet little Bug," Jane couldn't help but smile at the fact that a sleepy Amelia looked exactly like a sleepy Maura. "Come here Baby," she then said, pulling back the covers and patting the bed next to her. "Did we wake you?" She asked as she kissed the side of Amelia's head when she cuddled up next to her.

"I heard ringing," Amelia nodded, her eyes already closing as she hid her face in Jane's shirt. "You gotta work Mama?"

"Yeah Baby, Mommy and I have to go to work," Jane began to run her fingers through Amelia's hair. "Nona will bring you to school."

"How…how many more days?" Amelia asked the question she had been asking for the last several days, sounding like she was already half asleep.

"Four more days," Jane smiled. "Four more days until I get to marry your Mommy and just one more week until you are officially adopted," she said as Maura came out of the bathroom, smiling at the sight of Jane and Amelia cuddled up together. "Go back to sleep Baby," she said even though the little blonde's breathing had already evened out. "I love you."

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"We got another one," Frost said as soon as Jane and Maura approached their newest crime scene, gratefully accepting the coffee Maura handed him. "She was definitely stabbed again. Hard to tell how many times but it was a lot of blood."

"Yeah enough to send him heaving," Korsak added gesturing towards Frost who looked embarrassed. "Thank you," he said as Jane gave him a coffee as well.

"Does it look like she's wearing her own wedding dress?" Jane asked, as it was the fact that the last victim's dress didn't fit her properly that first tipped them off to the fact that the young woman hadn't been taken from her own wedding.

"Well Frost here didn't get a close enough look to see the dress," Korsak replied. "And I have no idea what I'm even looking for. We figured we'd leave that up to Dr. Isles to determine."

"That I can do," Maura smiled as she pulled on her gloves before approaching their victim, taking a few moments to examine her and take the necessary fluids before turning her slightly to look at her dress. "This dress is too large for her," she said, turning towards Jane. "The back of the dress is practically hanging off her and it's meant to be fitted. Do we have any idea who she is?"

"No I.D on her but we're searching the grounds since our killer dumped the last one's purse," Frost replied. "Where is this guy even getting a bunch of wedding dresses? I can't imagine he just has them laying around."

"Thrift shops most likely," Maura replied. "This design is rather old; at least 5 to 10 years. Plenty of women donate their dresses after some time since it's not exactly an outfit they can re-wear. They're usually only kept as mementos and since the divorce rate now a days is fairly high…"

"Okay googlemouth we get it," Jane finally interrupted Maura, knowing that once she got started it was difficult to stop her, especially when she was talking clothing. "We should check local thrift shops and see if anyone has been buying an obscene amount of wedding dresses," she turned to Frost. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"I'm in," Frost nodded. "We'll meet you back at BPD?" He asked Korsak.

"I'll see if I can find out who she is," Korsak replied. "You'll bring us your findings Dr. Isles?"

"As soon as I have something," Maura smiled. "Be safe Detectives."

"We always are," Jane grinned as Maura simply raised an eyebrow. "See you later Doc."

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"Maur we found him! We've got a picture!" Jane announced as she bounded into the morgue later that day, startling the Medical Examiner who was in the middle of the autopsy. "We checked out all the thrift shops in the area and after visiting like 3 we finally found an owner who remembered a guy buying like 6 wedding dresses Saturday monring! 6 Maur! This guy plans to do this at least 4 more times!" She explained in one breath, sounding as if she had consumed too much caffeine. "So anyways the owner gets us his security tape and sure enough we get a clear picture of the guy! We already released the photo. We're gonna catch this guy."

"That's great Jane," Maura smiled, understanding how important it was to Jane that they closed this case, both women feeling anxious about the wedding connection. "It appears that this woman was killed the same way as our last two victims," she then told the Detective. "She was stabbed more though. I counted 18 wounds."

"He's getting angrier," Jane said, moving to stand closer to the victim, taking a look at the stab wounds covering the woman's abdomen. "What could set someone off like this? I mean the rage has to be coming from somewhere."

"This kind of rage can be brought on from any number of things," Maura told her matter of factly. "Though considering the wedding angle to these kills it would seem most likely that the rage is stemming from a break-up of some sort. Could be that his fiancée left him recently or perhaps it's the anniversary of a breakup."

"That sounds like an awful lot of guessing to me Dr. Isles," Jane couldn't help but tease. "But that makes a lot of sense," she nodded. "God I hope we've got this guy. This wedding dress thing is really starting to mess with my head."

"Nightmares?" Maura asked, realizing she needed to elaborate when Jane raised a questioning eyebrow. "I heard you get up last night."

"I thought you were asleep," Jane sighed, hating having to admit that she had been having bad dreams. "It's just…In my dreams, I get to the crime scene and the victim is…it's…"

"Me?" Maura guessed, receiving a nod from the brunette, as she moved to pull off her gloves so she could grab Jane's hands. "Jane, I know the timing of these murders is awful but you know we have no real reason to worry right? The last two kills were random, they weren't even wedding related. We have nothing to worry about."

"I know," Jane nodded, reaching up to tuck Maura's hair behind her ear, needing the contact even if it was small. "I just…I can't help it. The thought of losing you it…it scares me more than anything," she admitted, their intimate moment interrupted by the ringing of Jane's cell phone. "Rizzoli," she answered despite the fact that Maura looked like she wanted to continue their conversation.

"Jane we got a call," Frost greeted on the other end of the phone. "We have an address for our guy."

"I'll meet you in the lobby," Jane told him, immediately hanging up the phone. "We've got an address. I have to go," she told Maura, giving her hand a quick squeeze before making a quick beeline for the door.

"Jane," Maura called out before Jane could leave, the brunette turning back to face her fiancée, neither saying a word for what felt like a long moment.

"I know," Jane finally broke the silence, taking one last deep breath before rushing out the door.

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Maura was in the midst of paperwork when her cell phone began to ring, Frost's name lighting up the screen, which confused her a moment before her stomach was suddenly filled with dread as she snatched the object off her desk.

"Barry? What's wrong? What happened? Is it Jane?" Maura asked her questions one after the other not leaving any time for the Detective to answer.

"Maura try and stay calm okay? Jane's okay," Frost replied when he was finally given the chance. "But there was a bit of an incident. We caught our guy but he tried to make a run for it first," he explained. "Jane went after him and lost sight of him for a minute when he disappeared into an alley. She followed him expecting he'd still be running but he was waiting around the corner with a two-by-four. He smacked her right in the head. She had to get a few stitches and the Doctor wants to keep her a couple hours for observation since she's got a concussion but…"

"You're at the hospital?" Maura interrupted, her heart feeling like it might beat out of her chest.

"Well yeah but…"

"I'll be right there," Maura said, hanging up the phone before quickly gathering all her things and rushing out of the office to get to her car.

The drive from BPD to the hospital wasn't a long one, but for Maura it felt like hours before she finally reached her destination, parking in the first free spot she found before bounding out the car, already dialing Frost's number.

"Where are you? Are you guys in a room?" Maura said as soon as Frost picked up, skipping any greeting.

"We're in the E.R," Frost replied. "Just come straight in I'll find you," he said as Maura kept the phone to her ear, rushing inside breathing a sigh of relief when she finally laid eyes on her fiancée's partner. "She's right over there," Frost pointed behind a curtain, wordlessly leaving Maura to greet Jane on her own, figuring they would appreciate the privacy.

"Jane," Maura threw back the curtain to find the brunette sitting on the bed, looking stubbornly annoyed, a fairly small cut stitched up in the middle of her forehead. "Oh Jane."

"I'm okay Maur," Jane sat up straighter as if to assure the blonde. "It's barely a scratch. I mean I have a hell of a headache and I smell like vomit since the concussion made me puke but I'm alright and we got our guy and…" she was cut off when Maura wrapped her arms around her, embracing her in a firm hug. "I'm okay," she repeated.

"You were just…and I…you scared me," Maura struggled to hold back tears.

"I'm so sorry Maur," Jane rubbed her hand up and down the smaller woman's back. "I shouldn't have ran around that corner like that when I didn't know where the guy was, I just wanted to catch him so bad and I was careless. I didn't mean to scare you like that I just…I had to get him."

"I know," Maura nodded, finally releasing the brunette, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before taking her hands. "I understand. I'm just…I'm so glad you're okay."

"Well mostly okay," Jane couldn't help but smirk. "Guess I'm gonna have a big old mark on my head for our wedding pictures," she said, pointing to her stitches, which from experience she knew would start to look worse before it started to look better. "Sorry Baby."

"Oh don't apologize to me," Maura shrugged, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "I don't care what our wedding pictures look like so long as you're there," she said. "Our mothers on the other hand, may not be so understanding."

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Since Jane had to stay for a few hours she was eventually moved into a room at Maura's request even though Jane kept begging to be let go.

"I just don't understand why we can't just go home," Jane whined, leaning back against the pillow that Maura had just fluffed for her. "It's just a concussion and I live with a Doctor. I'll be fine."

"The Doctor is only keeping you for observation. It's for your own good Jane," Maura replied as she busied herself around the room. "Plus I'm not that kind of Doctor. As you like to remind me, none of my patients are alive."

"Yeah well I'm pretty sure you can handle monitoring my concussion," Jane crossed her arms, pouting childishly as Maura simply ignored her.

"Mama!" Amelia suddenly came bounding into the room, running and jumping up onto the bed and throwing her arms around Jane's neck as Angela came in, looking relieved. "Mama you hurt? Nona said you hurt your head Mama. You okay?"

"I'm okay Bug," Jane kissed the top of the little blonde's head, feeling herself melting like she always did when the six year old was around. "The Doctors had to stitch up my head because I had a pretty bad cut but I'm okay now."

"Oh Janie," Angela came over, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "Look at your head!"

"I'm okay Ma," Jane assured her Mother, still hugging Amelia close. "Just a few stitches. Doesn't even hurt and I'm gonna be out of here in a couple hours."

"Yeah well what about your wedding? You're gonna get married with a big welt on your forehead," Angela shook her head. "You couldn't just be a teacher like I wanted."

"She's a detective Angela," Maura said as she moved to stand next to the bed, running her hand over Amelia's head. "She couldn't have been anything else. It's what she does," she smiled at the brunette. "And it doesn't matter if she had some stitches on her forehead for the wedding. She's going to look beautiful no matter what."

"Thanks Maur," Jane smiled, just as Frost and Korsak entered the room. "What is this a party? You all do know I'm getting out of here today right? You didn't all have to come visit."

"We had to Mama," Amelia looked up at Jane with big, wide eyes. "When you're hurt you need your family."

"Yeah what she said," Frost grinned, ruffling Amelia's hair. "Plus we thought you'd want to know we got our confession."

"Who was he?" Jane immediately asked.

"Devon Gibbons," Korsak replied. "We found all the dresses at his house but he eventually confessed once we got him in interrogation."

"Did he say why he did it?" Maura asked, grateful that Amelia didn't understand what they were talking about, the little girl busy playing with Jane's hair.

"His fiancée left him at the altar a year ago," Frost shook his head. "Guess the anniversary of the date set him off."

"Just like you guessed Dr. Isles," Jane grinned.

"I don't guess Jane," Maura gave the brunette a stern look.

"Fine. Just like you hypothesized," Jane corrected, making everyone else laugh.

"There was one other thing we came to tell you Jane," Korsak then told the brunette. "We talked to Cavanaugh and he wanted us to let you know that you've got the rest of the week off," he explained, receiving surprised looks from both Jane and Maura. "I mean you would have been forced to take a day for the concussion anyways but Cavanaugh said to take the rest of the week and he'd see you on Saturday. You too Maura."

"You know what, normally I would totally argue about that," Jane replied, turning towards Maura with a smile on her face. "But I think that sounds absolutely perfect."


	19. Tomorrow

**So Originally I was going to write the wedding next but I decided to go with one more chapter first (please don't be too mad)! I promise the wedding is coming up next!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoy! –J**

 **Chapter 19- Tomorrow**

When Maura woke up the day before her wedding, it took a few moments for it to hit her. Opening her eyes to find Jane's brown curls sprawled out on the pillow beside her, Maura couldn't help but smile as she realized that it was the last day that she would wake up next to her fiancée; as the couple had agreed to spend the night apart before they were to be married. Feeling giddy, Maura didn't even notice Jane beginning to stir.

"What are you so happy about?" Jane laughed as she opened her eyes to find Maura lying beside her with a goofy smile on her face.

"Oh not much," Maura grinned, shuffling closer to the brunette so she could place a kiss on her lips. "Maybe just the fact that I get to marry the most gorgeous and amazing woman I know tomorrow."

"Hmm gorgeous and amazing huh? Sounds like a catch," Jane smiled, tucking blonde hair behind Maura's ear. "Anyone I know?"

"Very funny," Maura shook her head as she took a hold of Jane's shirt in order to pull her in for a kiss, which was immediately deepened by the brunette. "Mmm I cannot wait to marry you," she moaned as she pulled away to catch her breath, just before Jane pulled her back in.

It didn't take long for the pair to become lost in passion, hands beginning to slip under shirts just as there was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Mommy? Mama? You guys awake?" Amelia's little voice called from the other side of the door as both Jane and Maura pulled apart, trying to catch their breath.

"We're awake," Maura was the one to finally answer, smiling as the door opened and Amelia poked her head inside the room, her blonde hair sticking up in all directions. "Good morning little girl. Did you sleep well?"

"Mm hm," Amelia nodded, padding into the room and allowing Jane to lift her up onto the bed. "Do I have to go to school today?"

"Well it's a school day today so I would say so," Jane laughed. "Why wouldn't you have to go to school today?"

"You and Mommy are getting married tomorrow," Amelia replied with a shrug. "Maybe you need me here."

Maura couldn't help but laugh at this as Amelia simply grinned sleepily. "Well we do always _need_ you here baby," Maura told the six year old. "But I think Mama and I will be able to handle the wedding preparations today with your grandmothers. You should go to school."

"Okay," Amelia sighed, laying her head back against Jane's chest. "If I gotta."

"You gotta," Jane laughed, amazed by just how much the little girl sounded like her sometimes. "But you know what? Tonight, everyone's going to be here. All your uncles and your grandmas and we're all going to have dinner together to celebrate before tomorrow. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Yeah I guess so," Amelia replied, though she didn't look entirely convinced. "Tomorrow I get to wear my pretty dress?" She turned her head towards Maura, even though she knew the answer.

"Yes Sweetheart," Maura smiled. "Tomorrow you will get to wear your pretty dress and so will I," she added. "And Mama will get to wear whatever it is she has chosen to wear and refuses to tell me."

"Hey I don't know what your dress looks like, so you don't get to know what I'm wearing," Jane told her.

"Yes but you know that I'm wearing a dress," Maura countered. "You won't even tell me if you're wearing a dress or a suit or what," she scoffed. "For all I know you're planning to show up in your jeans with your Red Sox jersey."

"As tempting as that sounds I can promise you that is not what I'm wearing," Jane laughed. "Even though I would love to see your Mother's reaction to that outfit," she added. "I promise you'll love what I'm wearing. I just want it to be a surprise."

"Yes, yes I know," Maura sighed, though Jane could tell she was holding back a smile. "I will just have to wait for tomorrow then."

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Later that afternoon found Jane in the back yard, setting up chairs and flowers with Constance's help, while Maura and Angela worked on the inside of the house since guests would need to go through on their way outside. Jane and Maura had both been watching the weather forecast for weeks and were thrilled to see that they were calling for a beautiful spring weekend, which delighted Maura, who had grown quite excited about the idea of their little backyard wedding.

Though Jane thought she would be better off inside helping her own Mother with preparations, Constance had been insistent about being the one to decorate the yard and the older woman had immediately jumped at the chance at having Jane help her.

"You know I'm not really sure if this is the best job for me," Jane said as she stood back looking at the makeshift altar they had created, which would have flowers added to it in the morning. "I don't know if this looks right."

"I think it looks marvelous," Constance, who was in the cheeriest mood Jane had ever seen her in, replied. "Though perhaps you should spread the tulle out a bit more right there," she pointed to the spot she was referring to. "You're doing a wonderful job Jane."

"Thanks," Jane smiled, moving to make the proper adjustments. "You know it looks really good back here. The flowers Maura planted look great and there's a lot more room than I thought there would be," she said as she looked around the yard. "I think it's going to turn out to be a really great day."

"Of course it will," Constance smiled, grabbing a bottle of water she brought outside with them and handing one to Jane before gesturing they should sit down. "You know this was never the way I anticipated Maura being married," she eventually continued. "I always envisioned Maura being married in some big, extravagant ceremony in Europe somewhere, or perhaps maybe just New York. I always thought she would be all about the glitz and the glamour, but somehow I think this all seems much more fitting," she said as she took in the backyard. "Thank you for allowing me the chance to get to know my daughter again."

"I didn't…" Jane tried to disagree.

"You did," Constance interrupted. "Whether or not you meant to, you did," she smiled. "My relationship with my daughter and my granddaughter has never been better and I have you to thank for that."

"Well I'm glad I could help," Jane smiled, relaxing back against her chair. "You know I never…I never imagined ever finding someone like Maura," she then admitted as Constance turned her head towards her interestedly. "She's not exactly the kind of woman that I ever thought would fall for someone like me, but I…I cannot imagine my life without her and Amelia. They're just…they're my whole world," she said, feeling her cheeks flaring.

"Well I'm fairly certain they feel the same way about you," Constance replied, hesitating before reaching out and placing a hand on the brunette's leg. "I feel like it's my duty as Maura's Mother to warn you that if you hurt Maura or Amelia I will be forced to destroy you," she said with the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

"I would never even think of doing such a thing," Jane replied with a hand over her heart. "I will do everything in my power to protect and take care of those two. I promise."

"Good," Constance nodded. "Then I feel like it's also my duty to welcome you to the family," she was smiling for real now. "I feel quite proud that I will soon be able to call you my daughter-in-law, even though you have completely ruined the wedding pictures with that thing on your head," she gestured to Jane's stitches.

"Thank you," Jane laughed. "And I'm sorry. Trust me when I say this was not the look I wanted for my wedding day," she added just as Maura stuck her head out the back door.

"It looks beautiful back here," Maura had a big smile on her face. "Jane would you like to pick Amelia up from school or should I?"

"Oh no, I'll go," Jane was quick to offer, turning her attention back to Constance. "You can join me if you like."

"That's nice of you to offer, but I think I will see what I can help with inside," Constance patted Jane's knee. "You enjoy your time with your daughter. I will see her when you get home."

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"Did you invite Hope to dinner tonight?" Jane asked Maura, as they got ready for their rehearsal dinner early that evening. "I know you were thinking about it for a while there but I realized I completely forgot to check with you."

"I decided against it," Maura shook her head as she pulled on the flowery, spring dress she had chosen for the evening, smiling at Jane's dark blue dress. "As much as I would love to have her and Cailin here I feel like it's a bit too much too soon," she explained. "At least tomorrow when Hope and my Mother meet there will be more people…more going on to distract them from each other. It seems unfair to expect them to sit at a table together comfortably. Will you zip me?" She asked, turning her back towards Jane.

"You're probably right," Jane nodded as she pulled Maura's zipper up for her. "Although I think your Mom would have done okay. She seems to have mellowed. We had a pretty good talk this afternoon."

"Yes I noticed you two seemed to be getting rather cozy out there," Maura replied, turning Jane around so she could zip her dress for her. "Did she give you the don't you dare hurt my daughter talk that your Mother gave me?" She asked as she turned around with an amused look on her face.

"My Ma gave you that talk?" Jane sounded surprised as Maura simply nodded her head with a laugh. "Wow I didn't expect that one."

"Yes well as much as your Mother loves Amelia and I, she worries about you," Maura smiled, looping her arms around Jane's neck. "She needn't worry though. I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you far to much for that."

"Mmm likewise," Jane grinned, leaning in to give Maura what was meant to be a chaste kiss, but instead became heated as the blonde's tongue begged entrance into Jane's mouth. "What are the odds we can just skip this thing and stay up here doing this," Jane asked when they finally pulled apart, sounding breathless.

"As tempting as that sounds it's not going to happen," Maura chuckled, placing a quick kiss on Jane's nose before releasing the hold on her neck, figuring space was the best thing for them. "You'll have to wait for tomorrow night for _that_ ," she winked. "Are you still staying with Frankie tonight?"

"Yes even though that's the last thing I want," Jane sighed. "I really don't see what difference it makes if we sleep in the same bed tonight. It's not like you even believe in all that bad luck stuff."

"No I don't. But it's tradition," Maura replied. "Plus it will just make tomorrow all the more special when we see each other for the first time," she said, giving Jane her best, big, begging eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I know," Jane rolled her eyes. "It's just really going to suck trying to sleep tonight without you beside me. Especially since I'll be on Frankie's couch."

"I promise I will make it up to you," Maura smirked. "Now come on. Our family is waiting."

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"I'd like to propose a toast," Angela stood up after dinner was over, tapping the side of her wine glass. "Tomorrow is a very special day for me. Getting to see my only daughter marry is one of the…I'm just so happy," she said, already dabbing at the corner of her eyes as she looked to Jane and Maura who sat together with their hands clasped, Amelia at Maura's side. "I always used to dream about the day my Janie would get married, but to be honest I had given up on that dream for a while there," she said, making the table laugh. "It seemed like Janie could just never settle down and then Maura came along. Even though they were just friends at first I knew," she grinned at both women. "I knew they'd find their way to each other eventually and I'm so glad that they did because not only am I getting a wonderful daughter-in-law, but I'm also getting an amazing granddaughter as well. So congratulations ladies, I'm so happy for you. To Jane and Maura."

"To Jane and Maura," Everyone repeated, clinking glasses together before taking sips of their drinks.

"Thank you Angela," Maura said once everyone had quieted down. "And thank you to all of you for coming tonight. Jane and I are very happy to be able to share this weekend with all of you," she smiled as she looked around the table. "We love each and every one of you and cannot imagine celebrating our wedding without you."

"You guys have been through a lot with us," Jane added. "And you've all helped us in different ways. We're incredibly lucky to have all of you in our lives," she continued, looking slightly embarrassed. "And I know we've got to make this an early night since we've got a pretty big day tomorrow but please have a few drinks and eat because we have enough food to feed all of Boston."

"Here, here," Frankie shouted, the chatting and drinking starting back up again.

It was a few hours later, after everything was cleaned up, that everyone figured it was time to start dispersing, wishing each other goodnights before heading for their respective cars.

"You sure you want me to go?" Jane asked, wrapping her arms around Maura's waist while Frankie waited impatiently by the front door. "Because I will totally stay if you want me to."

"You're going Jane," Maura laughed, giving the brunette a kiss. "It's just one night. I will manage without you."

"Oh so you don't need me?" Jane feigned hurt, placing her hand over her heart while Maura simply rolled her eyes.

"Oh I always need you, but I'm fairly certain I can manage a night on my own," Maura laughed. "Especially considering my Mother, Frost and your Mother will all be here," she said.

"It's kind of sweet Frost is staying here tonight," Jane grinned goofily. "Is he gonna help you with your hair tomorrow?"

"No," Maura poked Jane in her side. "But he is going to help keep Amelia entertained so we can all get ready. "It will be extremely helpful having him here, although I do feel bad he's going to have to sleep on the couch."

"Oh please that couch is the most comfortable couch I've ever sat on," Jane scoffed. "He'll be fine, unlike me who has to sleep on Frankie's couch, which I'm pretty sure he picked up on the side of the road somewhere."

"Janie, come on," Frankie finally lost his patience, gesturing towards the door.

"Alright, alright I'm coming," Jane sighed, turning back to Maura with a sad look on her face.

"It's just one night Jane," Maura reminded her again. "Now give me a kiss and go say goodbye to your daughter before your brother makes you walk back to his place," she said, pulling Jane in for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jane replied, leaning in for one more quick kiss before reluctantly letting the blonde go, running off to give Amelia a hug and a kiss.

Maura watched as Jane swooped Amelia up into the air for a moment, covering her face in kisses before placing her back on the ground and whispering something in her ear. Jane looked back and gave Maura one last wave before following Frankie out the front door as Amelia came running over.

"Mommy, Mama said I should sleep with you tonight," Amelia said as she jumped into Maura's waiting arms.

"Oh she did, did she?" Maura raised an amused eyebrow as she placed Amelia on her hip.

"Yes, she said you would be sad without her here, so I should sleep with you," Amelia nodded seriously. "Don't worry Mommy I will sleep with you and make sure you don't get sad! I will give you lots of cuddles."

"You know what Baby?" Maura grinned. "That sounds absolutely perfect."


	20. The Wedding (Part One)

**Okay so I apparently have a lot to write about this wedding so I needed to break it up! Here is part one and I promise to try and get part two to you as soon as possible!**

 **Once again thank you so much to everyone for reading! -J**

 **Chapter 20- The Wedding (Part One)**

"Mommy….Mommy…Mommy wake up…" Amelia was lying on top of Maura, tapping the older blonde's nose. "Mommy it's wedding day!"

Squinting open her eyes, Maura couldn't help but smile as she found Amelia's face extremely close to hers, their noses practically touching.

"Morning Mommy!" Amelia beamed as she noticed Maura's eyes open. "Happy Wedding Day!"

"Happy Wedding Day indeed," Maura laughed, wrapping her arms around the little blonde and kissing the top of her head. "Good Morning little girl. You're up awfully early."

"I'm too excited to sleep Mommy," Amelia replied, sitting up so she was now sitting on Maura's stomach. "You and Mama are gonna get married today! Everyone is coming over and I get to wear my pretty dress!"

"Yes you do," Maura laughed, lifting Amelia off of her stomach and pulling her down to lay beside her. "We should get up and start getting cleaned up soon, but let's lay here a few minutes first," she suggested, keeping her arms wrapped around the six year old.

"Do you miss Mama, Mommy?" Amelia asked, tipping her head up so she could see her Mother better.

"I do miss Mama, honey," Maura nodded, a small smile on her face. "It has been a long time since I spent a night without Mama. It feels strange. I will be happy to see her later. Do you miss your Mama?" She then asked, running her fingers through the little girl's blonde locks, savoring the moment.

"Mm hm," Amelia nodded. "I like it when Mama is here. I like when she reads with me before bed and when she cuddles with me in the morning," she said. "But I like your cuddles too Mommy."

"Oh good," Maura chuckled, squeezing Amelia just a little bit tighter. "I love you little girl."

"I love you too Mommy," Amelia grinned. "Now how much longer until Mama's here?"

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Frankie's couch was quiet possibly the most uncomfortable couch Jane had ever slept on. It took the brunette almost an hour of tossing and turning before she was able to even fall asleep.

It was early when the brunette opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling of Frankie's apartment, and feeling slightly groggy until she suddenly remembered the day; a smile spreading across her face.

"I'm getting married today," she whispered to herself, a big smile on her face.

"You talkin' to yourself now?" Frankie's voice startled Jane, who immediately sat up to find her brother sitting at his kitchen island, eating a bowl of cereal.

"What the hell Frankie? You're just sitting there watching me sleep?" Jane scoffed, throwing her pillow at her brother. "Creepy much?"

"Hey I'm just trying to have some breakfast alright," Frankie shrugged. "Maura has me on a strict schedule today. I had to get up so I could get you up," he explained. "You're lucky you woke up when you did. I was just about to sit on you."

"What are you even talking about?" Jane raised a confused eyebrow. "What strict schedule?"

"Well Maura is smart enough to know you need a schedule," Frankie replied. "You need to get in the shower because your hair and makeup people are gonna be here in an hour."

"Hair and…of course," Jane sighed, flopping back down on the couch. "I should have known."

"Yeah, you should have," Frankie laughed, moving to pull his sister up from the couch. "Now come on. Ma's gonna be here soon too and you need to go get yourself ready for your girl."

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"Oh Maura. Oh Darling, you look beautiful," Constance's voice was filled with emotion as Maura turned around after she finished doing up the back of her dress for her. "This is just. Wow."

"Thank you Mother," Maura's own eyes began to fill up with tears. "I actually never imagined a dress like this but when I saw it, it just seemed fitting for a spring wedding. You don't think it's too much for a backyard wedding do you?"

"I think it's absolutely perfect," Constance reached out, taking Maura's hands in hers. "I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful bride."

Though it was her original dream for her wedding dress, Maura had forgone the silk charmeuse, instead choosing a lace dress with capped sleeves. The dress was simple, yet glamorous and it fit Maura like a glove. Her hair was up, with a few pieces hanging loose around her face and her makeup was simple and elegant.

"How are you feeling? Are you nervous?" Constance asked. "I remember feeling sick to my stomach the entire morning of my wedding. I had constant butterflies."

"I'm not nervous," Maura shook her head. "Just excited. I'm anxious to see Jane though. I'm just so ready to be her wife,' she smiled just as there was a knock at the door.

"Maura? Is it okay if I come in?" Frost called from the other side of the door, returning from the guestroom where he was getting ready.

"Of course Barry. Come on in," Maura replied, turning towards the door and watching as Frost let himself in, a big smile across his face.

"Maura you look…wow…you look absolutely stunning," Frost said, moving further into the room so he could give Maura a kiss on the cheek. "Jane's not gonna know what hit her."

"Thank you Barry," Maura smiled. "You look very handsome."

"Thanks. I don't think I've ever worn a suit this nice," Frost grinned running a hand over his jacket. "I even like the tie," he laughed, gesturing to the purple tie that was chosen for all of the men to match Amelia's dress.

"Yes well Amelia is responsible for the colour choice," Maura replied. "Where is she by the way? Is she still getting ready?"

"They just finished with her hair when I left her. Wait till you see. She looks adorable," Frost said. "I told her to put her dress on before she comes down."

"I'll go see if she needs any help," Constance suggested, giving Maura's arm a quick squeeze before heading for the hallway, leaving the two friends on their own.

"Thank you again for doing this for me Barry," Maura smiled, feeling slightly emotional. "It means a lot to me."

"Maura, you don't have to keep thanking me for this," Frost laughed. "You're my friend. We're friends," he reminded her. "I'm honoured that you asked me and it's really my pleasure to get to stand up there with you. And I actually have something for you."

"Barry I told you, you didn't have to get me anything," Maura told Frost, giving him the sternest look she could manage, which only made him laugh.

"I know, I know, but I couldn't resist," Frost grinned, pulling a box out of his coat pocket. "Plus you need something old right? Since my Mom never had a daughter she passed this on to me a few years ago, hoping I would find a woman to give it to," he explained, pulling a simple silver locket out of the box. "This might not be exactly what she had in mind, but I think you should have it."

"Oh Barry it's…it's beautiful," Maura gasped as Frost moved behind her in order to place the locket around her neck for her. "Are…are you sure?" She asked, placing a hand over the necklace as tears began to prick at her eyes. "I mean shouldn't it stay in the family."

"You are family," Frost replied, squeezing Maura's shoulder. "And I talked to my Mom about it. She's completely okay with it," he grinned as he moved back around so he was standing in front of the blonde again. "I hope one day you'll be able to pass it down to Mia."

"Thank you Barry," Maura reached out to take her friend's hand. "I have something for you as well. Jane informed me that you weren't a jewelry person so I had to come up with something else," she said, releasing Frost's hand in order to grab a box off her dresser, handing it to Frost. "They're cufflinks," she explained when Frost opened the box. "Jane helped me pick them but she was pretty insistent that you wouldn't wear them. So if you don't like them we can return them and get you something else or…"

"Maura," Frost interrupted, laughing as he placed his hands on the blonde's shoulders. "I love them. They're perfect. Thank you," he said, giving the Medical Examiner his signature grin, just as little footsteps could be heard running down the hall.

"Mommy look I….Mommy!" Amelia gasped, coming to a sudden stop at the bedroom door with a shocked look on her face. "Wow!"

"Do you like my dress Sweetheart?" Maura laughed as Constance appeared behind the little blonde.

"That's the most prettiest dress I've ever seen Mommy," Amelia nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you Darling," Maura smiled. "You look beautiful in that dress," she said, happy that the little blonde had chosen the perfect dress for herself. "Come over here and give me a hug now."

Grinning, Amelia ran over to her Mother, throwing her little arms around her Mother's waist, tipping her head up to look up at her face. "Mommy. Is Mama going to be here soon?"

"Your Mama is on her way here," Constance was the one to answer from where she still stood by the door. "I spoke with Angela. They'll be here shortly," she smiled. "It's almost time."

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When Jane thought about marrying Maura during the past few months she felt nothing but excitement. She couldn't wait to call the blonde her wife and she was thrilled about officially becoming Amelia's Mother as well. Jane had been so excited for so long that she was surprised when she was hit with a wave of nerves as she; Frankie, Tommy and her Mother arrived at the house.

"According to Constance most of the guests have arrived. They're going to keep Maura and Amelia upstairs so you two don't see each other," Angela explained as the driver of their car pulled them into the driveway. "Tommy and Frankie will walk out first and then you and me before Amelia, Frost and Maura and Constance arrive."

"Oh uh…alright," Jane nodded, her knee beginning to bounce nervously. "Um yeah that sounds…that sounds good," she repeated. "But…well…do you think you could go see if Mia could come down for a minute before we start?" She asked, suddenly needing to see the little blonde. "I know we need to start and I won't be long I just…I really need to see her."

"Okay Janie," Angela replied, understanding. "I'll be right back."

"I'm gonna get some air," Tommy then said, leaving Jane and Frankie alone in the car.

"You okay Janie?" Frankie had to ask, having watched his sister on the drive over getting progressively more nervous the closer they got to the house. "You look a little nervous."

"I'm just…I…Maura's gonna marry me," Jane eventually spit out. "It just seems…I mean how could she…a woman like her…"

"Janie," Frankie interrupted with a laugh, reaching out and taking a hold of the brunette's wrist. "Listen to me alright? Because I'm your Best Man and I've watched your relationship with Maura grow," he said. "Maura loves you. I can see it in the way she looks at you…the way that you look at each other. What you two have…it's special and I hope someday I find someone who will love me as much as you and Maura love each other," he gave his sister a reassuring grin. "This is your day Janie. This is it. Don't start doubting it now."

Looking up to meet her brother's eyes, Jane finally broke out in a smile, though her eyes were watery with tears that she refused to let fall. "You don't think this dress looks ridiculous?" She asked with a laugh, running a hand over the white material of her sheath, strapless wedding dress, which featured silver beading at the waistline.

"I think that you look beautiful," Frankie smiled. "Maura's not even going to recognize you," he said just as Angela knocked on the car window.

"Janie someone's out here to see you," Angela called, bringing smiles to both Rizzoli children's faces.

Taking one deep, calming breath Jane nodded for Frankie to open the door, the younger Rizzoli climbing out first before holding out his hand to assist Jane.

"Mama!" Amelia gasped as soon as the brunette was in sight. "Mama! You look so pretty!"

"Thank you Baby, so do you," Jane smiled, carefully bending down so she could wrap the little blonde in a hug. "Oh I missed you last night Bug!"

"Nona said you needed to see me," Amelia leaned back so she could see the brunette better. "You okay Mama?"

"I'm better now," Jane nodded, holding on to Amelia just a moment longer before finally letting go. "I just wanted to see you before we go out back. It's wedding day Baby. Are you excited?"

"Wait till you see Mommy, Mama," Amelia nodded enthusiastically. "She looks really pretty, just like you," she smiled, making Jane laugh. "And she told me to tell you something too."

"Oh yeah?" Jane raised an eyebrow. "What did she say?"

"Mommy said to tell you that she loves you very, very much," Amelia said, looking serious as she obviously tried to remember exactly what Maura told her. "And she said she can't wait to see you at the…the um…"

"The altar?" Jane guessed, smiling as she thought of the blonde she would be seeing quite soon.

"Yeah! That's it," Amelia nodded. "She can't wait to see you at the altar! So is it time yet Mama?"

"Yeah Baby," Jane grinned, ready now. "It's time."


	21. The Wedding (Part Two)

**And here it is! Part 2! I had a hard time with the song choice in the last section, but I feel like I found a fitting one! Hope you all will agree!**

 **There will be one more chapter to this particular story! But don't worry, I'm already thinking about Part 3 for the series!**

 **Thanks so much for reading - J**

 **Chapter 21- The Wedding (Part 2)**

It was time. As the music began to play, Jane stood by Angela's side, watching as Tommy, then Frankie walked down the aisle, which Jane noted was now lain with flower petals; the backyard completely transformed to a more beautiful wedding location than Jane ever could have imagined.

"Ma," Jane suddenly turned to Angela, knowing she needed to start walking in a moment as her Mother turned her attention towards her. "I love you," she smiled, suddenly grateful for her Mother's constant love and support.

"I love you too Janie," Angela replied, tears already filling her eyes. "I am so happy for you and Maura…I just…I'm so proud of you Janie."

"Thanks Ma," Jane smiled big, leaning forward and giving the older woman a kiss on the cheek before looping her arm through Angela's. "Now let's go. Just don't let me fall alright?"

"Don't worry Janie, I've got you," Angela gave her daughter's arm a squeeze as the pair heard their cue and began their short walk down the aisle to where the Rizzoli men waited.

When they reached the altar, Jane once again turned to her Mother, giving her a kiss before taking her place beside Frankie, who had a big grin on his face, obviously excited for his big sister. Turning back towards the house, Jane felt a nervous excitement, anxious to see Maura, but grinning when Amelia appeared at the door, beaming with happiness.

Amelia had practiced her job as flower girl/bridesmaid for the last week, basket of flower petals in hand as she dropped them around the family room. And in typical, Maura fashion, Amelia began dropping her petals with a perfected poise, a smile on her face as she made her way towards Jane.

It wasn't until she reached the brunette and she was finished her job that Amelia broke concentration, running the last few steps and throwing her arms around Jane's waist.

"I did it Mama!" Amelia beamed, making everyone in the yard laugh.

"You did great Baby," Jane couldn't help but laugh as she noticed Frost making an appearance on the back porch, the doors shutting behind him so Maura could make her entrance. "How about you go stand over there with Uncle Frostie though," she suggested to the little blonde. "Mommy's gonna come out in a minute. We don't want to miss it okay?"

"Okay Mama," Amelia nodded, leaning up for a kiss, which Jane quickly gave her, before joining Frost, who gave Jane a wink before taking his place on the other side of the altar.

"This is it," Frankie whispered beside Jane as the guests once again stood, everyone turning their attention to the back door.

As soon as the back door opened, Jane was covered in goose bumps, a big smile lighting up her face as tears stung her eyes as soon as hazel eyes locked with hers from across the yard. As Maura and Constance got closer, Jane took a step forward.

"Wow you look…wow…" Jane whispered, feeling completely speechless.

"You look beautiful," Maura beamed, her eyes full of tears. "I can't believe…wow…"

"Perhaps you should discuss this later ladies," Constance laughed, taking Maura's hand and giving it a squeeze before handing it over to Jane. "Take care of her for me Jane."

"Always," Jane nodded, allowing the Mother and Daughter to share a kiss, before leading the blonde to the altar where Korsak was waiting to begin the ceremony.

Jane tried to pay attention as Korsak began to speak, she really did, but with Maura standing in front of her, wearing that dress; Jane couldn't focus on anything else. The couple's eyes eventually locked together, both hazel and brown orbs sparkling with happiness as they both focused on nothing but the woman in front of them; as if the rest of the yard simply disappeared around them.

"Jane would you like to share your vows with Maura?" Korsak eventually turned to the brunette, whose gaze was still locked on Maura. "Jane," he repeated, laughing when Jane turned towards him looking startled. "Your vows?"

"Oh. Right," Jane blushed, giving her head a slight shake before turning back towards Maura who had a smile on her face. "Almost two years ago I took a trip down to the basement at work, hoping to introduce myself to the new Medical Examiner," she began, clearing her throat nervously. "I walked down there hoping to get in good with the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth but I got a whole lot more," she grinned. "Because instead of finding you I ran into a little blonde, sneaking around the basement, who eventually introduced me to her Mom," she laughed, looking over Maura's shoulder at Amelia who was grinning from ear to ear. "I didn't know it at the time but that day changed my life, because I didn't just meet a work colleague, I met my best friend…my _two_ best friends and I cannot imagine my life without you and Amelia in it. You were my best friend first, but at some point I realized it was so much more than that. What we have is so incredibly special and I promise to never lose sight of that. I promise to love you and Amelia no matter what and I will always be there for both of you. Today is the beginning of the rest of our lives together as a family and I cannot wait to start this journey with you. I love you Maura," she said, her voice cracking slightly as tears once again stung her eyes. "I love you so, so much."

"Maura," Korsak turned to the blonde, giving her a short moment to compose herself. "Would you like to share your vows with Jane?"

Taking a deep breath to control her emotions, Maura turned towards Jane, who gave her an encouraging smile. "I never imagined finding someone like you. I never imagined a friend like you and I never imagined falling in love with my best friend either," she smiled. "The truth is you are beyond anything…beyond anyone I ever could have imagined spending my life with. You are the strongest woman I have ever met and Amelia and I are so lucky to have you in our lives. You have been so good to us and so incredibly strong for us and there is no one else in this world I would want to be a Mother to Amelia with me," she said, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I love you so much Jane and I promise that love will only get stronger each and every day. I promise to stand beside you through the good and the bad and I promise to always be your best friend first. You and Amelia are my whole world and nothing will ever change that. I love you."

"Jane do you take Maura to be your wife?" Korsak asked the brunette, who was holding back her tears as hard as she could.

"I do," Jane nodded, as a single tear finally escaped.

"And Maura do you take Jane to be your wife?"

"I do," Maura smiled tearfully.

"Men," Korsak looked to Frankie and Frost. "Do you have the rings?"

Both reaching into their jacket pockets, Frankie and Frost pulled out rings, Frost handing his to Maura while Frankie handed one to Jane.

"Maura, with this ring, I promise to be your best friend and your wife as long as we both shall live," Jane said, slipping the silver band onto Maura's ring finger where it fit perfectly with her engagement ring.

"Jane," Maura slid Jane's ring onto her finger. "With this ring, I promise to be your best friend and wife as long as we both shall live."

"Well then, ladies it is my honour to pronounce you wife and wife," Korsak announced, beaming happily. "You may now kiss your bride."

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"Jane you look…this dress is…I can't even believe…you look incredible," Maura struggled to speak, trying to get a really good look at Jane's dress while the brunette kept trying to capture her mouth with hungry kisses. "The way it fits you…Jane…"

"Maura," Jane groaned, resting her head against the Doctor's shoulder. "We have like two minutes alone before our Mothers are going to bust in here and make us go pose for pictures and mingle," she said, trying to keep her voice low as they were currently hiding out in the laundry room where Jane had quickly pulled Maura after the ceremony. "You really want to talk about my dress right now?"

"I'm sorry I just can't help it," Maura laughed, giving Jane a brief kiss before pulling away again. "It's just that you hardly ever wear dresses and this particular dress is just…wow…I can't quite get over it," she said, allowing Jane to pull her in for another kiss, which the brunette immediately deepened. "Jane," the blonde laughed again when she eventually pulled away. "We really shouldn't start anything we can't finish. There will be plenty of time for all of this tonight. Your Brother is taking Amelia and your Mother for the night after all."

"Mmm thank God for that," Jane grinned, reaching up and placing a hand on Maura's cheek. "We're married," she smiled even wider. "I can't believe it. We're actually married."

"We are," Maura chuckled. "Are you happy?"

"The happiest I've ever been," Jane nodded, making the blonde laugh. "You look amazing too by the way. When you came down the aisle…you completely took my breath away. I still can't believe I get to call you my wife."

"Well you better believe it because I am officially Mrs. Rizzoli-Isles and I plan on keeping that name," Maura grinned just as there was a knock on the laundry room door.

"Mommy? Mama? You guys in there?" Amelia's little voice called from the other side of the door, bringing identical grins to both women's' faces.

"And there is the soon to be little Rizzoli-Isles," Jane grinned as she opened the door only a crack, grabbing Amelia's hand and quickly pulling her inside, eliciting giggles from the miniature-Maura. "Hi Baby."

"Are you guys hiding? Nona said you're hiding," Amelia said, wrapping her little arms around Jane.

"We aren't hiding Darling," Maura was the one to reply. "Mama and I were just taking a moment to ourselves. We're both just very happy." She said. "We're married now Little Girl. Are you happy?"

"I'm happy Mommy," Amelia nodded enthusiastically as Jane ran her hand over the little blonde's head. "I get adopted soon?" She asked looking up at Jane for an answer.

"In a couple days Baby," Jane grinned, anxious for their date at the courthouse for Tuesday afternoon. "But first we've got a party to enjoy."

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"Hope! Cailin!" Maura found her birth Mother and sister as she mingled with her friends and family, after taking photos, everyone waiting for dinner to begin. "I'm so glad you could both make it."

"The ceremony was beautiful," Hope smiled as she gave Maura a warm hug, one, which Maura was surprised to find wasn't the least bit awkward. "Everything looks wonderful and it's just so intimate."

"And you look great," Cailin added a little uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. "That dress is gorgeous."

"Thank you Cailin," Maura smiled, giving her half-sister a brief hug. "Jane and I are quite happy with how everything turned out. To be honest I wasn't really sold on the backyard wedding idea at first, but this has been more than I could have ever imagined," she continued. "Have you two been able to speak to Jane? She's around here somewhere but I'm afraid I keep losing her."

"You talking about me?" Jane suddenly appeared, Constance at her side. "I was hoping we would find you three," she said, knowing it was time for Constance and Hope to meet, no matter how anxious it made her wife. "Mia's with Frost, Ma says we need to get started soon. I thought now would be a good time for some introductions."

"Oh yes…of course," Maura nodded, grateful when Jane took her hand. "Mother this is…Well…She's uh…."

"You must be Hope," Constance helped her daughter out. "Of course you are; the resemblance is quite obvious. Constance Isles," she held out a hand for Hope to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Hope replied. "This is my daughter Cailin," she introduced the teen. "I'm glad we're finally able to meet like this," she then said. "I've been…well I've been hoping to meet you since…well since all of this started."

"I'm happy to meet you as well," Constance smiled, a smile that Maura was happy to see looked genuine. "And what better way to meet than at such a wonderful celebration. I hope you'll come sit with Angela and me during dinner. I would love to get to know you better."

"Of course. I'd like that very much," Hope agreed, just as Jane noticed Korsak approaching the makeshift podium they had for him near where the head table was now set up on the patio, the rest of the yard now filled with tables ready for dinner.

"Speaking of dinner I think we're about to get started. We better get up there," Jane said, giving Maura's hand a squeeze before heading to their table. "Well that went well."

"Incredibly," Maura nodded happily.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen if everyone could please take their seats, dinner and speeches will be starting shortly," Korsak told the small crowd, all of whom immediately complied, drinks in hands.

Though she had originally wanted to skip on the big formal, sit-down dinner, Jane had allowed Maura to convince her to have the event catered, and now she had to admit it was probably a good idea. There was quiet chatter throughout the small group gathered in the yard while dinner was served and everyone began eating before Frankie stood up and everyone fell silent.

"One thing I've always known about my sister is that she's strong," Frankie began as Maura took Jane's hand in hers. "Ever since we were kids Janie has had this strength that I always admired because she was tough…fearless almost," he continued with a smile. "Sure Janie has always been caring and compassionate. She has been looking out for me and Tommy since we were kids, but it wasn't until she met Maura and Mia that I saw a completely different side to my sister," he said, turning to the couple. "Maura changed Jane. She's still tough and strong and fearless, but she's also…softer," he laughed as his sister shot him a glare. "Don't worry Janie it's a good thing," he joked. "I got to watch Jane and Maura fall in love and I got to watch my sister become a Mother to Amelia and I've got to say it has been amazing. The love that this family has is amazing and I truly hope that one day I will find someone who loves me as much as Maura and Jane love each other. So Janie, congratulations. I am so happy for you. And Maura…welcome to the family! Cheers."

"Cheers!" Everyone repeated, clinking glasses while Jane and Maura stood to give Frankie a hug before Frost got ready for his speech.

"Hello," Frost grinned as he got to the podium. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Barry; Maura's best Man," he introduced himself. "I actually met Maura around the same time that Jane did. We met at work and to be honest at first I thought she was a little strange," he laughed, giving the blonde a wink. "You see, even though I'm a homicide Detective, I've always had a bit of trouble with blood and I just couldn't understand how someone could do the job that Maura does," he explained. "The more time I spent with Maura at work though, the more I learned from her. I learned about compassion, and helping people and giving a voice to those who can no longer speak for themselves. I learned that Maura is probably the smartest person I will ever meet, but also the kindest," he smiled. "Maura has such a big heart and that's one of the reasons she has become one of my best friends and probably the reason that Jane fell for her the way she did. I think that everyone here can agree with me when I say that these two were made for each other. I truly believe that Jane and Maura and Amelia belong together and I'm so happy that I was able to be here today for this special day and I can't wait to watch them continue to grow together. So here's to Jane and Maura," he raised his glass. "May they have nothing but happiness and love together."

"To Jane and Maura," everyone brought their glasses together.

"Thank you Barry," Maura smiled as she gave the Detective a hug. "That was beautiful. It means a great deal to me."

"To both of us," Jane said. "We're so glad you're here with us."

"Me too," Frost grinned. "And as great as this all has been. I'm ready to party."

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 _Heart beats fast_

 _Colours and promises_

 _How to be brave_

 _How can I love when I'm afraid_

 _To fall_

 _But watching you stand alone_

 _All of my doubt_

 _Suddenly goes away somehow_

 _One step closer_

"I love you," Jane pulled Maura close as they danced together in the middle of the yard, their guests watching all around them. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you too," Maura smiled, kissing the brunette's neck. "And I cannot wait to get you alone."

"Dr. Isles," Jane tried to sound scandalized while Maura simply giggled, placing another kiss against her neck.

 _I have died every day waiting for you_

 _Darling, don't be afraid_

 _I have loved you for a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

"Today has been perfect," Maura whispered, her arms wrapped around Jane's neck. "Everything has just been perfect. _You_ are perfect."

"I'm far from perfect," Jane shook her head. "But today has been incredible."

 _Time stands still_

 _Beauty in all she is_

 _I will be brave_

 _I will not let anything take away_

 _What's standing in front of me_

 _Every breath_

 _Every hour has come to this_

 _One step closer_

"Mia," Jane called out to the little blonde who was holding Frankie's hand, swinging his arm back and forth while she swayed to the music. "Come here baby," she said, bending down and picking her up when she ran over, while Maura wrapped her arms around both of them.

"I get to dance with you!" Amelia grinned, wrapping an arm around each woman's neck.

"Of course you do," Maura kissed her daughter's head. "It's our first dance as a family."

"Are you having fun Baby?" Jane asked.

"The most fun," Amelia nodded.

 _I have died every day waiting for you_

 _Darling, don't be afraid._

 _I have loved you for a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

 _And all along I believed I would find you_

 _Time has brought your heart to me_

 _I have loved you for a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

 _One step closer_

 _One step closer_

"I love you two," Jane said, bringing their heads close together so all their foreheads were touching. "I love you both so, so much."

"We love you too Mama," Amelia beamed, kissing the brunette's nose. "You're the best Mama ever! Right Mommy?"

"Yes Baby," Maura agreed, leaning in and giving Jane a kiss. "Yes she is."

 _I have died every day waiting for you_

 _Darling, don't be afraid._

 _I have loved you for a thousand years_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

 _And all along I believed I would find you_

 _Time has brought your heart to me_

 _I have loved you for a thousand year_

 _I'll love you for a thousand more_

 ******The song is Christine Perri's "A Thousand Years"**


	22. An Official Family

**Well here it is! One last cheesy chapter to finish off this story in my series here! Hope you all enjoy and stay tuned for the next installment, which I will start as soon as inspiration hits!**

 **Thanks so much for everyone who has read and reviewed! -J**

 **Chapter 22- An Official Family**

"Okay Amelia, it's your turn to share," Amelia's teacher announced toward the end of the school day Tuesday afternoon. "I heard you have a pretty special story to share today," she smiled as Amelia walked up to the front of the class. "And you have some pretty big plans this evening."

"Really big plans," Amelia nodded, a big smile on her face. "And I would like to tell everybody about what I did this weekend."

"Okay well you have our attention," the teacher smiled. "You may begin whenever you're ready."

Nodding, Amelia turned to the first graders she had spent the day with; her days with her kindergarten class becoming less and less. "On Saturday this weekend I had a wedding in my backyard," she began the story she had practiced with Maura the night before since she knew it was her day to share a story. "My Mommy and my Mama got married and they both wore pretty white dresses and the yard was decorated with lots of flowers and all our friends and family got to come," she explained. "I wore a purple dress that my Mommy let me pick out and I was a flower girl and a bridesmaid. I got to eat lots of food and dance and my Mommies were very happy."

"That sounds like a great day Amelia," her teacher smiled. "And would you like to tell everyone where you are going after school today?"

"My Mommies are picking me up from school as we are going to see a judge," Amelia replied, having been told every detail of their day from both her Mothers. "The judge is going to give my Mama papers to sign so that she can adopt me and be my o…official Mama," she continued before adding. "Even though she's already my Mama."

At the back of the classroom a little boy raised his hand. "Yes Eric," the teacher called. "Would you like to ask Amelia a question?"

Nodding, Eric asked, "how come your Mama has to adopt you?"

"My Mama didn't always live with me and my Mommy," Amelia eventually answered after giving it some thought. "My Mommy gave birth to me and it was just me and her for a long time. But then we met my Mama…she was just Janie then," she tried to explain. "My Mommy and Mama fell in love and now they got married so my Mama is going to adopt me. We're a family now."

"That's wonderful Amelia," her teacher said. "We're all very happy for you. You're a very lucky girl."

"Yes," Amelia beamed. "I am."

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Jane did not want to be at work. As much as the Detective loved her job, there were days when it was just too hard to concentrate and today was one of those days. As much as Jane knew that Amelia was in school, and they couldn't go to the courthouse until later in the day anyways; the brunette still wished she simply could have stayed home where she wasn't forced to spend her time pretending to do paperwork.

The truth was, Jane was just too excited to focus. Even though she already considered herself Amelia's mother, the adoption still meant a great deal to her and she was anxious for 3pm to come along.

"Have you even gotten any work done over there?" Frost asked with a laugh, catching Jane checking the time for what felt like the millionth time that day.

"How am I supposed to work under these conditions?" Jane whined, dropping her head to the desk. "I don't know why Maura made me come in today. I wanted to go to the courthouse this morning."

"She didn't want to take the whole day off remember," Frost replied. "I mean Cavanaugh has been pretty generous with your days off lately. Plus Mia has school and it's getting close to the end of the year. She shouldn't really be missing too much time especially since she's skipping into second grade next year."

"God you sound like my wife," Jane rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile as she said the word 'wife', which was still so new and exciting for her.

"You like the sound of that huh?" Frost laughed as Jane raised a questioning eyebrow. "Getting to call the Doc your wife."

"Hell yeah I do," Jane grinned, just as the elevator doors opened with a ding, and Maura appeared. "Speaking of my beautiful wife," she stood up. "Please tell me you're here to rescue me."

"Yes Jane it's time to go," Maura nodded, laughing as she watched Jane throw her hands up in the air in victory before quickly scrambling to pack up all her stuff.

"Okay I'm ready. Let's go," Jane said, grabbing Maura's hand and attempting to drag her back towards the elevator.

"Jane will you relax. We still have time," Maura laughed. "You didn't even say goodbye to Barry and Korsak."

"Oh right," Jane turned back to her colleagues. "Bye guys. See you tomorrow," she waved before once again pulling an apologetic looking Maura towards the elevators.

"See you Janie," Korsak called from his desk.

"And congratulations!" Frost added, both shaking their heads with laughter as Jane quickly waved her goodbyes through the closing elevator doors.

"Jane that was a little rude," Maura gave the brunette a stern look, gesturing towards the elevator doors even though they were now moving down towards the lobby. "You could have at least said a proper goodbye."

"Oh please Frost and Korsak don't care," Jane huffed. "I will see them tomorrow and they know how much I wanted to leave," she explained. "I just want to go get Mia. I'm excited," she said, giving the blonde her best puppy dog eyes, smiling as she watched Maura's expression soften.

"I'm glad you're so excited," Maura smiled as Jane stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I know Amelia doesn't fully understand all of what's happening, but it's going to mean a great deal to her one day Jane. And it means so much to me."

"Maur," Jane pulled the blonde aside after they stepped out of the elevator, taking both her hands in hers. "Adopting Amelia means the world to _me_. The fact that you've let me in her life…that I get to be her Mother…I…" She shook her head, unable to find the right words. "I will never be able to thank you enough for that."

"There's really no need anyways," Maura smiled, leaning in a giving Jane a quick peck on the cheek. "Now come on. Let's go get our girl."

 **RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI**

Jane was crying. As soon as the judge has signed the last paper and congratulated her and Amelia the tears started falling and there was nothing she could do to stop them. Overcome with happiness, Jane hadn't really anticipated the emotions she was hit with but she was far too thrilled to be embarrassed about it.

"Mama?" Amelia looked up at the brunette, a worried expression on her face. "You okay?"

"I am more than okay Baby Girl," Jane bent down and immediately lifted the little blonde up into her arms. "These are happy tears Bug. I am so happy that it's official. You're my daughter," she kissed Amelia's cheek. "I just love you so, so much."

"I love you too Mama," Amelia grinned. "But you don't have to cry," she said, brushing a tear off the brunette's cheek. "You should smile because you're happy!"

"Okay Baby," Jane laughed, kissing her head before turning to Maura who was watching the scene with tears streaming down her face as well. "But you might want to tell Mommy that too," she laughed again, moving closer so she could wrap an arm around the blonde. "Smiles for happy moments gorgeous," she kissed Maura's head. "No more tears."

"Well I'm not sure how I'm supposed to control the tears when you two are like this," Maura replied, kissing Amelia's head while she wrapped her arm around Jane so the three of them stood in one big hug together. "These last few days have been like a dream. I still can't quite believe it's all real."

"Well you better believe it Beautiful," Jane grinned, kissing Maura's forehead. "Because this is our family now."

"Yeah Mommy we're a family!" Amelia beamed, wrapping an arm around each of her Mothers' necks. "Can we go home and celebrate now?"

"Celebrate? And what would you like to do to celebrate little girl?" Maura asked with a grin.

"Eat pizza!" Amelia was quick to reply, a sly look on her face as Jane nodded her agreement.

"Just like your Mama," Maura laughed, shaking her head. "Come on. Let's go home and get you two fed."

"Congratulations again ladies," the judge said, having watched the entire interaction. "You have a beautiful family."

 **RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI**

"I think we should order from that place near the precinct. They deliver and they've got the best pizza in the city," Jane told Maura as she unlocked the front door. "And I know it's a school night but maybe we can watch a movie? Mia's choice?"

"I think that sounds all right as long as we don't start the movie too late," Maura nodded. "You know how Amelia gets when she hasn't had enough sleep. And we both have to be at work in the morning as well," she continued. "Oh I think we have some ice cream in the freezer as well. I think today definitely calls for ice cr…."

"SURPRISE!" Several voices shouted from the family room, startling the trio who had just entered the foyer.

"Oh my goodness!" Maura put her hand over her heart, which was beating rapidly.

"Ma! What the…" Jane yelled at the same time, while Amelia look delighted.

"Nonna!" The little blonde called, running up and jumping into the eldest Rizzoli's arms. "Nonna I'm adopted now!"

"I know you are Baby girl!" Angela lifted the little blonde up onto her hip, looking a little teary. "You're a Rizzoli now."

"A Rizzoli-Isles," Jane reminded her Mother, as she took Maura's hand and pulled her into the family room, which was decorated with balloons and where Frankie, Tommy, Frost, Korsak and Constance also all waited. "What are you all doing here anyways? Ma did you do all this?"

"Well I helped," Angela replied, kissing Amelia's forehead. "But it was Constance's idea. She thought this all called for a celebration," she smiled, watching Jane give Constance a rather surprised look.

"It's not every day your granddaughter gets adopted," Constance shrugged. "And after all our talks the last few days I gathered that today was a rather important day for you as well Jane. I thought it would be nice to get the family together."

"Wow. Thank you Constance," Jane replied, giving the older woman a rather uncharacteristic hug before moving so Maura could do the same. "You two knew about this all day?" Jane turned to Frost and Korsak, both of whom shrugged their shoulders with smirks on their faces.

"Thank you all so much for coming," Maura smiled as she moved around giving everyone hugs, while Amelia ran over to give her Grandmother a hug. "It means a great deal to all of us. Especially since you were all just here for the wedding. Oh Jane perhaps we should order that pizza."

"No need Maura. Pizza should be here in twenty," Frankie told her.

"And Frost and I had a cake ordered," Korsak added. "Come on Mia, let me show you," he said, gesturing for the six year old to follow him into the kitchen.

"You know," Jane sidled up next to Maura, wrapping an arm around the shorter woman's waist. "I must say we're pretty lucky," she said, nodding towards the kitchen where everyone was now showing Amelia her cake, all chatting animatedly about the adoption. "I mean this family may be a little unconventional…and maybe a little wacky…but they're mostly pretty amazing."

"I think they're wonderful," Maura placed her head on Jane's shoulder. "I never ever imagined a family quite like this," she sighed. "But this…this is so much better."


End file.
